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Iraq’s F-16 Program Stalls as US Contractors Evacuate Balad Airbase

Buildings are seen during a press tour inside al-Asad military airbase in the western Iraqi province of Anbar, Jan. 13, 2020. (AFP)
Buildings are seen during a press tour inside al-Asad military airbase in the western Iraqi province of Anbar, Jan. 13, 2020. (AFP)
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Iraq’s F-16 Program Stalls as US Contractors Evacuate Balad Airbase

Buildings are seen during a press tour inside al-Asad military airbase in the western Iraqi province of Anbar, Jan. 13, 2020. (AFP)
Buildings are seen during a press tour inside al-Asad military airbase in the western Iraqi province of Anbar, Jan. 13, 2020. (AFP)

US contractors evacuated Iraq’s Balad Airbase where they were supporting Iraq’s F-16 program, US Stars and Stripes daily military newspaper reported.

The US government withdrew the military personnel following a number of rocket attacks that targeted the airbase.

"Without the Americans, the Iraqis cannot perform the full range of maintenance tasks on the country’s fleet of F-16s, which are key in the fight against the ISIS group," the report said.

It also said that 32 of the 36 F-16 fighter jets Iraq received from 2014 to 2017 were inventoried at Balad Airbase last summer, and 75% were either fully or partially operational in December.

"In the first three months of 2021 they flew 299 sorties, the Lead Inspector General for Operation Inherent Resolve said in a quarterly report Tuesday."

All but four of those sorties were training missions, it said, according to the report.

Contractors and coalition military air advisors previously evacuated Balad in January 2020 as tensions between Washington and Tehran played out in Iraq in back-and-forth strikes, including the US assassination of a top Iranian general at Baghdad International Airport and Iran’s retaliatory ballistic missile strike on two Iraqi bases.

Also, the US-based Lockheed Martin and Sallyport Global failed to support the F-16s due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The report asserted that military air advisors are no longer housed at the base, saying "while US Air Force advisers regularly visit Balad, the lack of a dedicated advising presence and secure communications have so far kept the F-16s of Iraq’s 9th Fighter Squadron off the coalition’s air tasking order."

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Iraq Urges Trump to Strengthen Security Coordination

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani (Government Media)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani (Government Media)
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Iraq Urges Trump to Strengthen Security Coordination

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani (Government Media)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani (Government Media)

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani congratulated US President Donald Trump on returning to the White House, while the Shiite-led Coordination Framework ignored the occasion.

Instead, Coordination Framework officials focused on calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and domestic issues.

In his message on Tuesday, al-Sudani’s gesture seemed to clear the way for Iraq to move past the arrest warrant issued for Trump in 2021 over the 2020 killings of Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

The Iraqi judiciary stated at the time that the arrest warrant was based on Article 406 of the Iraqi Penal Code and that investigations into other individuals involved, whether Iraqi or foreign, would continue.

This week, Iraqi activists shared an image of the judicial decision, sparking debate on social media about the fate of the arrest warrant now that Trump has returned to the US presidency.

Some argued that the warrant would remain a point of embarrassment for those who pushed for its issuance.

Nevertheless, Sudani congratulated Trump, expressing Iraq's interest in strengthening ties with the US through the Strategic Framework Agreement, focusing on mutual interests.

He emphasized the importance of promoting regional and global stability, security, and development.

Sudani reiterated Iraq’s commitment to its strategic relationship with the US and expanding cooperation in security, economics, culture, technology, investment, and sustainable development, while respecting sovereignty and avoiding interference in domestic affairs.

President Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid also congratulated Trump on his re-election, affirming Iraq’s support for security and stability in the region and the world, and for enhancing bilateral relations to benefit both nations.

In contrast, the Coordination Framework refrained from mentioning Trump in its statement following a meeting held in Baghdad on Monday night into Tuesday, coinciding with the inauguration ceremony in Washington.

Instead, the coalition congratulated the Palestinian people on the Gaza ceasefire and urged the international community to ramp up efforts to rebuild war-torn areas, assist displaced people, and address the destruction of infrastructure, particularly hospitals and schools.

The Coordination Framework also highlighted consensus among the Iraqi parliament’s leadership, calling for support for provincial governors in fulfilling their duties.

While praising the government's successful foreign visits, Coordination Framework officials emphasized the importance of maintaining Iraq’s balanced foreign policy.