Iraqi Army Aviation Command

Iraqi Army Aviation Command
قيادة طيران الجيش العراقي
Iraqi Army Aviation Insigna
Active	26 June 1980;45 years ago (1980-06-26)
Country	Iraq
Type	Army Aviation
Role	Tactical and logistical support of ground units
Part of	Iraqi Armed Forces
Command Headquarters	Baghdad
Equipment	Helicopters UAVs
Engagements	Iran–Iraq War Invasion of Kuwait Gulf War Operation Southern Watch Iraqi no-fly zones Iraq War War against the Islamic State Syrian Civil War
Commanders
Current commander	Major General Pilot Muhammad Abdul-Karim Aouni
Insignia
Country Flag

The Iraqi Army Aviation Command is the aviation branch of the Iraqi Ground Forces founded in 1980. It commands the helicopter class as well as the class of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). It is a completely separate force from the Iraqi Air Force, and its current commander is Maj. Gen. Muhammad Abdul-Karim Aouni. ^{[1] [2]}

History

Origination Of Aviation Command

The Iraqi Army Aviation Command was formed after a split from the Iraqi Air Force in 1980.^{[ citation needed ]}

The 1990s

After Iraq's military was destroyed in the Gulf War, and the Army Aviation Command lost much of its equipment in military operations. After the war, Iraq was unable to rebuild to its previous state of military power as a result of the United Nations' decision to blockade Iraq.

After 2003

After the United States and its allies invaded Iraq in 2003 and the civil administrator Paul Bremer, decided to dissolve and rehabilitate the Iraqi army. The Army Aviation Command was dissolved and most of the military, logistical equipment and infrastructure was dismantled. The United States then aided in the reconstruction of the Army Aviation Command and supplied it with the necessary military equipment, logistics and rehabilitation of army bases and airports.^{[ citation needed ]}

Organization

Command

Iraqi Army Aviation Airbus H225M (formerly known as Eurocopter EC725 Caracal) helicopter in flight.

Army Aviation Command Headquarters: Baghdad

Academies and training centers

Army Aviation College

The College of Aviation is one of the formations of the Army Aviation Command. The college habilitates, prepares and trains pilots in various specialized and military theory and skills, including navigation, flight theories, air conditioning, the English language, communications and various military lessons in order to prepare them to work in all squadrons and air bases and to continue performing their tasks in combating terrorism and defending Iraq. The college consists of five wings: Aviation, Teaching, Technical, Administration, supplies and Military Training.

Bases and airports

The Army Aviation Command uses military bases and airports scattered throughout Iraq.

Personnel

Army Aviation Command Commanders

Military Rank	Name	Duration
Lieutenant General Pilot	Hamed Atiya Al-Maliki	2005-2020
Lieutenant General Pilot	Samir Zaki Husayn Al-Maliki	2020-2024
Major General Pilot	Muhammad Abdul-Karim Aouni	2024-present

Ranks

The ranks of the army aviation force are the same as the standard armed forces ranks. Because the army's flight force is derived from the air force, it inherited the ranks of the air force and comes with epaulets of sky-blue color and below the epaulettes are two wings of an eagle (indicating the pilots). Technical officers, engineers and ground crews have the same rank form with the wings of an eagle. The wings of the eagle are on the red stripe in the case of the staff officer, the epaulettes used to be the olive drab or khaki of the Army but with wings.

Officers

lieutenant pilot	First L. pilot	Captain pilot	Major pilot	L. colonel pilot	Colonel pilot	Brigadier General pilot	Major general pilot	L. general pilot	General pilot

Soldiers and Warrant officers

Soldiers and warrant officers in Army Aviation Command constitute are the ground crew, responsible for set and preparation of the aircraft on the flight line as well as ground guidance. they are not flying the aircraft, so the epaulette have no eagle's wings. The soldier's uniform does not contain epaulettes.

Soldier	1st Soldier	Sergeant	Corporal	Chief S.

Equipment

Helicopters

This force reached its peak power at the end of the first Gulf War, when the commanding cadres numbered nearly 900 different helicopters. The armament of the Iraqi army was generally from the eastern bloc. As a result of the policies followed by the Iraqi state, most of the helicopters were Soviet. After 2003 the United States armed the Iraqi army aviation with American and Western helicopters.

In October 2012, it was reported that Iraq had signed a contract with Russia to purchase weapons, including approximately 30 Mil Mi-28 helicopters. ^[3] The agreement was confirmed on October 9.^{[ citation needed ]} Part of the deal was later canceled due to the Iraqi parliament's condemnation of the deal on suspicion of corruption, but the Iraqi Defense Minister stated that "the deal will go ahead". ^[4] The contract was already signed and included the Mil Mi-28NE helicopters, and deliveries began in September 2013. Another 10 aircraft of the same model were delivered in January 2014.

The Army Aviation currently owns 175 operational helicopters, including 15 attack helicopters, out of 300 purchased, including 67-114 heavy attack helicopters (it is scheduled to reach 500 helicopters), as follows:

name	image	origin	type	number [5]	notes
Helicopter
Helicopters H225M		France	Multi-role	2 [6]	12 ordered [7] [8]
Mil Mi-24		Russia	Attack	23 [9] [10]	12 on order [11]
Mil Mi-28		Russia	Close air support/Anti-armor	17 [12] [13]	19 on order [14]
Bell 206		United States	Multi-role	10 [15]
Bell 407		United States	Multi-role and training	40 [16]	5 optional order [17]
Bell 505		United States	Training	7 [18]	15 ordered [19]
Bell OH-58 Kiowa		United States	Training	10 [20]
Eurocopter EC635		France	Light attack	24 [21]
Bell UH-1 Iroquois		United States	Multi purpose	15 [22]
KAI KUH-1 Surion		South Korea	Utility		2 on order [23]
Airbus Helicopters H135		France	Utility	20 [24]
Mil Mi-8		Soviet Union	Transport	20
Mil Mi-17		Soviet Union	Multi purpose	22

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

name	image	origin	type	number	notes
UAV
CH-5		China	MALE UCAV	Unknown [25] [26]
CH-4		China	MALE UCAV	1 [27]	CH-4B
Bayraktar TB2		Turkey	UCAV		8 on order [28]

Iraq has contracted for 14 CH-4 medium-altitude and long-range (M.A.L.E.) UAV from  China, used for reconnaissance and treating targets using precision-guided missiles.

Losses of helicopters destroyed during the fight against ISIS

Helicopters	origin	downed/ destroyed
Bell 407	United States	1
Mil Mi-17	Soviet Union	1
Mil Mi-28	Soviet Union	1
Mil Mi-35M	Russia	1
Total		4

References

1. "تكليف اللواء الطيار الركن محمد عبد الكريم عوني بمهام قائد طيران الجيش خلفاً للفريق الركن سمير زكي". Alrasheed. 19 July 2024.
2. "About". www.mod.mil.iq. Archived from the original on November 20, 2014. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
3. "Baby Come Back: Iraq is Buying Russian Weapons Again". defenseindustrydaily.com, 12 November 2012. Archived 2017-09-25 at the Wayback Machine
4. "Iraq to go ahead with billion-dollar Russian arms deal". Globalpost.com, 10 November 2012. Archived 2016-04-22 at the Wayback Machine
5. "World Air Forces 2024". flightglobal.
6. "Iraq receives first H225M Caracals". Flight Global.
7. "Iraq Ministry of Defence orders 12 Airbus H225M helicopters". verticalmag.
8. "Iraq signs agreement with Airbus to acquire "Caracal" aircraft". Shafaq News. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
9. "World Air Force". Flight Global. 26 November 2024.
10. Military Balance 2024. IISS. 2024. ISBN   978-1032780047.
11. "World Air Forces 2024". Flight Global. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
12. "World Air Force". Flight Global. 26 November 2024.
13. Military Balance 2024. IISS. 2024. ISBN   978-1032780047.
14. "World Air Forces 2024". Flight Global. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
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16. "World Air Force". Flight Global. 26 November 2024.
17. "World Air Forces 2024". Flight Global. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
18. "Farnborough 2024: Bell begins 505 deliveries to Iraq". Janes. 25 July 2024.
19. "World Air Forces 2024". Flight Global. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
20. "World Air Forces 2024". Flight Global. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
21. "World Air Forces 2024". Flight Global. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
22. "World Air Forces 2024". Flight Global. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
23. "KAI signs 130 billion won deal to export Surion helicopters to Iraq". Chosun.
24. "World Air Forces 2024". Flight Global. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
25. "Iraq acquires Chinese CH-5 killer drones". Defense mirror.
26. "Iraqi Army Displays New Military Drone Bought From China". Newsweek. 30 April 2024.
27. Binnie, Jeremy (2019-08-07). "US-led coalition says only one Iraqi CH-4 UAV fully operable". Jane's. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
28. "Iraq orders Bayraktar TB2S". Scramble.nl. 2021-12-23. Retrieved 2022-03-02.