Militias turn Iraqi F-16s into "scrap iron" after the departure of the American maintenance company

[size=52]Militias turn Iraqi F-16s into "scrap iron" after the departure of the American maintenance company[/size]

[size=45][You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]The repeated attacks by armed militias against Balad Air Base in Salah al-Din Governorate caused the  [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] , which specializes in maintaining Iraqi F-16s, which represents an advanced stage in the increasing influence of armed factions, and its impact on the security file in the country. .[/size]
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[size=45]The American company withdrew, after the air base was exposed to a series of successive strikes during the past months, which hit a number of its workers, despite the Iraqi authorities ’assertion that there are no American combat forces in that base, and that the cadres working there are specialized in aircraft maintenance only.[/size]
[size=45]The sorties stopped[/size]
[size=45]“In coordination with the US government, and with personnel safety as our top priority, Martin Lockheed has moved the Iraq-based F-16 team,” Joseph Lamarca Jr., a communications official at the weapons manufacturer, said in a statement, without disclosing the number of personnel who Being pulled.[/size]
[size=45]But an Iraqi official told the "New York Times" newspaper, that the company has 70 employees at the "Balad" base, and 50 of them will be transferred to the United States, and about 20 to the city of Erbil in the Kurdistan Region.[/size]
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[size=45]In turn, a pilot trainer working at the base stated that “the air strikes, which were carried out by Iraqi pilots against ISIS, stopped several days ago due to the withdrawal of the American company, the tension in the security situation at the base, and the lack of clarity of alternative government plans for this withdrawal, especially since Local cadres are still unable to deal with this expected withdrawal.[/size]
[size=45]The trainer, who refused to reveal his name to (Passnews), added: “The Iraqi attempts have not been able to convince those in charge of Lockheed Martin to reverse the decision to withdraw, due to repeated security threats, especially since the previous pledge made by the government to the company is not to be attacked. "It was contrary to reality, as Al Qaeda was subjected to missile strikes last month, which represents a remarkable development in the stage of the conflict with the armed factions, and it caused this to leave."[/size]
[size=45]Indoor tracking and imaging devices[/size]
[size=45]The American Lockheed Martin Company plays a major role in operating and maintaining the F-16 aircraft, as it supplies the aircraft with fuel and ammunition, and even targets identification and processing is done by that company.[/size]
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[size=45]According to previous Western reports, Washington is the one who identified the Balad air base as a base for aircraft, as it includes an American military team consisting of 271 soldiers and advisors, and it prohibited the use of any other base to land there except "with the consent of the Americans and in cases of necessity."[/size]
[size=45]According to these reports, the F-16 aircraft are equipped with internal tracking and imaging devices and cannot move in the sky without being monitored by a special room located at a US base in Kuwait.[/size]
[size=45]In turn, the spokesman for the Joint Operations Command, Major General Tahsin Al-Khafaji, told the official agency, "F-16 aircraft are very important aircraft and are the backbone of the Iraqi air force and the Iraqi arm in fighting and combating terrorism." Preparing the cadres and techniques that contribute to raising the capacity of Iraqi technicians.[/size]
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[size=45]He added, "We hope that the training of our technical cadres will be completed in order to take the principle of maintenance, as well as fully equip and repair."[/size]
[size=45]What about the confrontation with ISIS?[/size]
[size=45]Iraq bought F-16s in 2011, after the withdrawal of US combat forces from the country. The first aircraft arrived in 2015, and they directly participated in the war against ISIS.[/size]
[size=45]Security experts believed that this withdrawal will cast a shadow over Iraq's confrontation with the remnants of ISIS cells, especially as it relies on aircraft directly to bomb remote hideouts and caves, which happened during the last period, and led to the killing of a number of ISIS leaders.[/size]
[size=45]Since the beginning of the year, at least five missile attacks have targeted the Balad base where other US companies are stationed, including Saleport, and have resulted in at least three foreign contractors and one Iraqi working for the base.[/size]
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[size=45]Rarely, any party bears responsibility for these attacks, but sometimes unknown groups that are considered a front in reality for the armed factions loyal to Iran, according to experts.[/size]
[size=45]The expert on Iraqi security affairs, Major General Mithaq Al-Qaisi, said, “What happened represents a strong blow to the Iraqi air force, as it relies heavily on these aircraft to confront ISIS, especially at the current stage, when it is difficult to completely rely on infantry, and routine patrols, what It means resorting to bombing and destroying the organization’s sites.[/size]
[size=45]Militia power[/size]
[size=45]Al-Qaisi added in a statement to (Pasnews) that “the Iraqi forces will face great difficulty during the next phase, in the event that the situation is not remedied, and the work of the F-16 aircraft program is resumed, and this is due to the power of the militias and their insistence on the departure of these companies, or their blackmail to obtain contracts, To protect it, as happened previously. ”[/size]
[size=45]Since the beginning of 2021, the missile attacks have increased on the Balad base, while the military leadership says that the attacks are launched from eastern Diyala.[/size]
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[size=45]According to field sources, "the American company postponed the decision to leave the base for several times, hoping to reach an agreement with the armed factions to stop the attacks or obtain a truce, but it did not happen."[/size]
[size=45]This is the second time that Lockheed Martin has withdrawn from Farah Balad, as its first withdrawal in early 2020 due to its exposure to 9 missiles caused the F-16s to stop flying for several months.[/size]
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