Iraq: $18 billion in wartime military allocations

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[size=52]Iraq: $18 billion in wartime military allocations[/size]

[size=45]The Iraqi government pays great attention to the army and regular security services in terms of spending and armament. These forces consist of 1,250,000 members, and consist of 5 main formations: the ground force, which consists of 14 divisions, the air force, the naval force, army aviation, and air defense, including 160,000. Almost within the groups of the Popular Mobilization Forces, which represents the strength of the armed factions.[/size]
[size=45]From the financial budget for the year 2023, Iraq allocated about 15 percent to Iraqi security and military institutions, with an amount exceeding 18 billion US dollars, out of the huge budget of 153 billion dollars.[/size]
[size=45]Military allocations include contracts for huge projects for the military sector and the purchase of weapons and aircraft that were included in previous budgets, in addition to supporting intelligence files and training abroad, among others.[/size]
[size=45]The Iraqi army is ranked No. 45 in the world according to the classification of the most powerful armies for the year 2023, knowing that it was ranked fourth among the armies of the world before 2003, while its armament resources are currently distributed, but it depends on America, Russia, and China as the most important countries that supply weapons. In 2021, 41 percent of arms imports to Iraq came from the United States.[/size]
[size=45]Iraq is continuously working on comprehensive plans to strengthen the military institution with advanced weapons, within an official framework to support this institution, which still faces great challenges in imposing security, especially with the activity of ISIS in a number of provinces not ending. Earlier, Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani reviewed the armament file, and directed that contracting mechanisms be reconsidered in light of priorities, and that air defense be provided in the armament and equipment aspect. He also directed careful coordination with the Ministry of Finance in order to monitor the amounts required by the armament plan.[/size]
[size=45]Although arming Iraq is one of the controversial issues, especially with some political and militia parties allied with Iran refusing to conclude deals with America, and preferring to contract with Russia to obtain weapons, reality imposes itself, with the continued security challenges and threats from terrorist groups. In addition to the risks of the Israeli war on Gaza, not to mention the agreements concluded within the strategic agreement with the United States.[/size]
[size=45]In this context, a member of the Security and Defense Committee in the Iraqi Parliament, Yasser Watut, said, “One of the goals of the Sudanese government, and the current parliament, is to empower the Iraqi forces in all their types and forms and at the extent of their distribution and deployment. We have confirmed our support on more than one occasion for the plans of the Ministry of Defense regarding developing the army’s capabilities to In terms of armament and organization, we can say frankly that the Iraqi governments after 2014, and the occupation of Iraqi areas by ISIS, paid attention to the file of the security and military establishment.”[/size]
[size=45]Wattut added in an interview with Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that “the army needs more support, to be a striking force against any attempts targeting the Iraqis, and the government is also required to open up to countries of the world to support the security establishment with advanced and modern weapons,” noting that “there is a recent “It was officially announced by the Ministry of Defense and security officials that Iraq needs aircraft, ground weapons, defensive batteries, deterrent missiles, and proactive technical devices.”[/size]
[size=45]For his part, an officer with the rank of brigadier general in the Iraqi Ministry of Defense pointed out that “the security and military establishment still needs a lot of spending on weapons, including radar systems, in order to protect the Iraqi airspace, but providing them faces many problems from political parties, under false pretexts.” He explained to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that, “The Ministry of Defense continues to develop its military arsenal, and work has been continuing seriously since 2021, and there are efforts to obtain drones and air defense systems to secure the airspace.”
The armament of the Iraqi army is considered relatively undeveloped, especially since the arms deals concluded by previous governments were marred by major corruption, which caused the suspension of many of them, especially the deals concluded during the government of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, including the Russian arms deal, and others.[/size]
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