Since 2021, Iraq has been planning to purchase Pakistan’s JF-17. Iraq has been negotiating deals for 12 JF-17 Thunder from Pakistan in this regard. In addition, Iraq is also interested in purchasing 14 Dassault Rafale Fighter jets from France.
After the negotiation, Iraq concluded a $644 million deal for 12 JF-17 Block 3 jets from Pakistan after the two-year negotiation among both countries.
The latest news comes two months after the Iraqi media cloaked that Baghdad is interested and planning to buy 14 Dassault Rafales as a part of a deal that is in discussion for 2021.
Gen Yehia Rasool, the spokesperson for the Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief, showed Baghdad’s interest in the advanced multirole French jet. He said Iraq “will purchase modern military equipment from many countries, including the Republic of France.” Baghdad may ultimately buy combat aircraft from more than one country.
In September 2021, Iraqi News Agency reported on JF-17 contact that Iraq’s parliamentary committee for Security and Defense announced Baghdad would negotiate a deal with France for the primary defense weapons, radars, and Rafales.
In September 2022, Iraq held an immigration for its first French-supplied Thales Ground Master 403 mobile long-range radar. According to Iraqi media, in 2022, Iraq planned to purchase 14 Rafales for $240 million in oil payments. However, it still needs to be determined how much would cover as it is such a low figure to make a lot of dozens of Rafales.
For instance: India spent $8.2 billion to purchase 36 Rafales. JF-17 is under discussion, which costs around $25 million each. Therefore, the $664 million for a dozen of Rafales, along with advanced block three jets accompanying parts, armaments, and support, leaves a point to think in just $240 million for 14 Rafales.
The INA report published in September 2021 cited the Chairman of the Committee for Security and Defense, Mohamed Redha Al-Haider stated that”his committee would present Iraq’s prime minister and France’s president with “the issue of funds and weapons that were contracted in the eighties and nineties and have not yet been delivered to Iraq.”
Iraq already had 18 Mirage F1s on the order impounded in Iraq’s 1990 invasion of Kuwait and never delivered. In 2011, France offered Iraq the exact number of retrofitted Mirages for $1 billion, much higher than the purported price for 12 far more advanced Rafales.
Iraq has plans to secure a significant discount for Rafales as part of a combined settlement to clear any debts France owes from previous deals Paris did not fulfill.
Iraq is much more interested in JF-17 Or Rafale, especially for air defense. Indeed, providing the backbone of Iraq’s fighter fleet makes sense; its 34 American F-16 C/D Block 52s did not come with AIM-120 air-to-air missiles.
On July 9, The News International claimed that Iraq was interested in purchasing JF-17 to defend its airspace against drones. Iraq plans to acquire all defense equipment from different countries for defense purposes. Baghdad is searching for a PL-15 missile, a roughly Chinese missile, for its JF-17 Block 3, which is highly equipped with an AESA radar system.
The INA quoted Rasool’s status, “Iraq is cooperating with France in many fields, including air defense.” Baghdad is searching for France’s formidable Meteor air-to-air missile along with its Rafales to improve its air defense capabilities.
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