The Iraqi Air Force has reportedly taken delivery of a new batch of four F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft multi-role fighter aircraft from the US.
The arrival of the additional aircraft will give Iraq a chance to support its forces fighting against the ISIS militant group.
The Iraq Ministry of Defence was quoted by Iraqi News as saying: “The third batch of F-16 fighter jets were received by Iraq recently, and they will enter in the battles to liberate Mosul city from ISIS grip.”
Iraq Ministry of Defence brigadier general Tahseen Ibrahim spokesman also confirmed the arrival of new jets in the country, The Associated Press reported.
The aircraft delivered in the first two batches are being used to conduct strikes against jihadist militants across the country.
Iraq ordered 18 F-16s in 2011 followed by the order for 18 more in 2012, bringing the total number of jets to be acquired to 36.
The Lockheed Martin-built F-16 is powered by a single Pratt & Whitney F-100-GE-129 turbofan engine.
Earlier this year, Iraq requested $2bn worth sale of weapons and munitions for the F-16 fighter jets from the US.
Iraq requested for 20 joint helmet mounting cueing systems, 24 AIM-9M Sidewinder missiles, 150 AGM-65D Maverick missiles, 14,120 500lb general purpose bombs, 2,400 2,000lb general purpose bombs, more than 8,000 laser-guided bomb (LGB) tail kits and 8,500 FMU-152 fuses.
Additional items are 250 LGB Paveway II tail kits to be combined with 2,000lb warheads for MK-82 and / or BLU-117 to build GBU-10 guided bombs.
Image: An36 F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft taking off. Photo: courtesy of US Air Force photo / Senior Airman Jordan Castelan.
