SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, Iraq 1973–1990

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The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, SIPRI, [1] Arms Transfers Database contains information on all international transfers of major weapons (including sales, gifts and production under licence) to states, international organizations and armed non-state groups since 1950. It is the only publicly available resource providing consistent data on arms transfers for this length of time. The database can be used to track transfers of major weapons and to answer such questions as:

Contents

Imports of conventional arms by Iraq 1973–1990, by source

Values are shown in millions of US dollars at constant (1990) estimated values. "Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact" includes Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania. The majority of these transfers came from the Soviet Union, followed by Czechoslovakia.

Year Soviet Union
and
Warsaw Pact
France China (PRC) United
States
Egypt OthersTotal
19731,321500001,326
19741,471500001,476
19751,0873500001,122
19761,16111900001,280
19771,06210600001,168
19781,82726000201,873
19791,10878000171,203
1973–799,037374000379,448
1973–7995.7%  4.0%    0%    0%    0%  0.4%100%
19801,66524100121142,032
19811,78073100461822,739
19822,0236732170712273,211
1980–825,4681,64521701295237,982
1980–8268.5%20.6%  2.7%    0%  1.6%  6.6%100%
19831,89877974521587734,274
19842,8578831,065601164,927
19852,6017001,0369321164,494
19862,663251918970863,997
19872,719214887301141574,121
19881,2023553011251181962,297
1983–8813,9403,1824,9522003921,44424,110
1983–8857.8%13.2%20.5%  0.8%  1.6%  6.0%100%
19891,31911323047671,569
199053728100033851
Total $30,3015,5955,1922005682,10443,960
Total %68.9%12.7%11.8%  0.5%  1.3%  4.8%100%

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) makes the following comment of the methodology of this table:

The SIPRI data on arms transfers refer to actual deliveries of major conventional weapons. To permit comparison between the data on such deliveries of different weapons and identification of general trends, SIPRI uses a trend-indicator value. The SIPRI values are therefore only an indicator of the volume of international arms transfers and not of the actual financial values of such transfers.

SIPRI's data are founded entirely on open sources:

The type of open information used by SIPRI cannot provide a comprehensive picture of world arms transfers. Published reports often provide only partial information, and substantial disagreement among reports is common. Order and delivery dates, exact numbers, types of weapon and the identity of suppliers or recipients may not always be clear. [2]

Arms suppliers to Iraq

The table shows the majority of conventional arms imported by Iraq during the 1970s, when the regime was building up the armies which were to attack Iran in 1980, were supplied by the Soviet Union and its satellites, principally Czechoslovakia. The only substantial Western arms supplier to Iraq was France, which continued to be a major supplier until 1990, when Iraq invaded Kuwait and all legal arms transfers to Iraq ended.

The United States did not supply any arms to Iraq until 1982, when Iran's growing military success alarmed American policymakers. It then did so every year until 1988. These sales amounted to less than 1% of the total arms sold to Iraq in the relevant period. Although most other countries never hesitated to sell military hardware directly to Saddam Hussein's regime, the U.S., equally keen to protect its interests in the region, opted for and developed an indirect approach. The CIA began covertly directing non-U.S. origin hardware to Hussein's armed forces, "to ensure that Iraq had sufficient military weapons, ammunition and vehicles to avoid losing the Iran-Iraq war." [3] The full extent of these transfers is not yet known, and details do not appear in the SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, which relies entirely on open sources. [2]

In 1996, the Scott Report in the United Kingdom investigated arms sales to Iraq in the 1980s by Matrix Churchill in what became known as the Arms-to-Iraq scandal.

Table of major conventional arms sales to Iraq by country

CountryWeapon designationWeapon descriptionYear(s) deliveredQuantity delivered
Austria GHN-45 155mm Towed Gun1983200
Brazil EMB-312 Tucano Trainer aircraft1985-198880
Brazil Astros II MLRS Multiple rocket launcher1984-198867
Brazil EE-11 Urutu APC1983-1984350
Brazil EE-3 Jararaca Recon vehicle1984-1985280
Brazil EE-9 Cascavel Armoured car1980-19891026
Brazil Astros AV-UCF Fire control radar1984-198813
Canada PT-6 Turboprop1980-1990152
China Xian H-6 Bomber aircraft19884
China F-6 Fighter aircraft1982-198340
China F-7A Fighter aircraft1983-198780
China Type-63 107mm Multiple rocket launcher1984-1988100
China Type-83 152mm Towed gun1988-198950
China W-653/Type-653 ARV1986-198725
China WZ-120/Type-59 Tank1982-19871000
China WZ-121/Type 69 Tank1983-19871500
China YW-531/Type-63 APC1982-1988650
China CEIEC-408C Air surv radar1986-19885
China HN-5A Portable SAM1986-19871000
China HY-2/SY1A/CSS-N-2 Anti-ship missile1987-1988200
Czechoslovakia L-39Z Albatross Trainer/combat aircraft1976-198559
Czechoslovakia BMP-1 Infantry fighting vehicle1981-1987750
Czechoslovakia BMP-2 Infantry fighting vehicle1987-1989250
Czechoslovakia OT-64C APC1981200
Czechoslovakia T-55 Tank1982-1985400
Denmark Al Zahraa Landing ship19833
East Germany T-55 Tank198150
Egypt D-30 122mm Towed gun1985-1989210
Egypt M-46 130mm Towed gun1981-198396
Egypt RL-21 122mm Multiple rocket launcher1987-1989300
Egypt T-55 Tank1981-1983300
Egypt Walid APC1980100
France Mirage F-1C Fighter aircraft1982-1990106
France Mirage F-1E FGA aircraft1980-198219
France SA-312H Super Frelon Helicopter19816
France SA-330 Puma Helicopter1980-198120
France SA-342K/L Gazelle Light helicopter1980-198838
France Super Etendard FGA aircraft19835
France AMX-GCT/AU-F1 Self-propelled gun1983-198585
France AMX-10P Infantry fighting vehicle1981-1982100
France AMX-30D ARV19815
France ERC-90 Armoured car1980-1984200
France M-3 VTT APC1983-1984115
France VCR-TH Tank destroyer1979-1981100
France Rasit Ground surv radar19852
France Roland Mobile SAM system1982-1985113
France TRS-2100 Tiger Air surv radar19881
France TRS-2105/6 Tiger-G Air surv radar1986-19895
France TRS-2230/15 Tiger Air surv radar1984-19856
France Volex Air surv radar1981-19835
France AM-39 Exocet Anti-ship missile1979-1988352
France ARMAT Anti-radar missile1986-1990450
France AS-30L ASM1986-1990240
France HOT Anti-tank missile1981-19821000
France R-550 Magic-1 SRAAM1981-1985534
France Roland-2 SAM1981-19902260
France Super 530F BVRAAM1981-1985300
West Germany BK-117 Helicopter1984-198922
West Germany Bo-105C Light Helicopter1979-198220
West Germany Bo-105L Light Helicopter19886
Hungary PSZH-D-994 APC1981300
Italy A-109 Hirundo Light Helicopter19822
Italy S-61 Helicopter19826
Italy Stromboli class Support ship19811
Jordan S-76 Spirit Helicopter19852
Poland Mi-2/Hoplite Helicopter1984-198515
Poland MT-LB APC1983-1990750
Poland T-55 Tank1981-1982400
Poland T-72M1Tank1982-1990500
Romania T-55 Tank1982-1984150
Yugoslavia M-87 Orkan 262mm Multiple rocket launcher19882
South Africa G-5 155mm Towed gun1985-1988200
Switzerland PC-7 Turbo trainer Trainer aircraft1980-198352
Switzerland PC-9 Trainer aircraft1987-199020
Switzerland Roland APC/IFV1981100
United Kingdom Chieftain/ARV ARV198229
United Kingdom Cymbeline Arty locating radar1986-198810
United States MD-500MD Defender Light Helicopter198330
United States Hughes-300/TH-55 Light Helicopter198330
United States MD-530F Light Helicopter198626
United States Bell 214ST Helicopter198831
Soviet Union Il-76M/Candid-B Strategic airlifter1978-198433
Soviet Union Mi-24D/Mi-25/Hind-D Attack helicopter1978-198412
Soviet Union Mi-8/Mi-17/Hip-H Transport helicopter1986-198737
Soviet Union Mi-8TV/Hip-F Transport helicopter198430
Soviet Union Mig-21bis/Fishbed-N Fighter aircraft1983-198461
Soviet Union Mig-23BN/Flogger-H FGA aircraft1984-198550
Soviet Union Mig-25P/Foxbat-A Interceptor aircraft1980-198555
Soviet Union Mig-25RB/Foxbat-B Recon aircraft19828
Soviet Union Mig-29/Fulcrum-A Fighter aircraft1986-198941
Soviet Union Su-22/Fitter-H/J/K FGA aircraft1986-198761
Soviet Union Su-25/Frogfoot-A Ground attack aircraft1986-198784
Soviet Union 2A36 152mm Towed gun1986-1988180
Soviet Union 2S1 122mm Self-Propelled Howitzer1980-1989150
Soviet Union 2S3 152mm Self-propelled gun1980-1989150
Soviet Union 2S4 240mm Self-propelled mortar198310
Soviet Union 9P117/SS-1 Scud TEL SSM launcher1983-198410
Soviet Union BM-21 Grad 122mm Multiple rocket launcher1983-1988560
Soviet Union D-30 122mm Towed gun1982-1988576
Soviet Union M-240 240mm Mortar198125
Soviet Union M-46 130mm Towed Gun1982-1987576
Soviet Union 9K35 Strela-10/SA-13 AAV(M)198530
Soviet Union BMD-1 IFV198110
Soviet Union PT-76 Light tank1984200
Soviet Union SA-9/9P31 AAV(M)1982-1985160
Soviet Union Long Track Air surv radar1980-198410
Soviet Union SA-8b/9K33M Osa AK Mobile SAM system1982-198550
Soviet Union Thin Skin Air surv radar1980-19845
Soviet Union 9M111/AT-4 Spigot Anti-tank missile1986-19893000
Soviet Union 9M37/SA-13 Gopher SAM1985-1986960
Soviet Union KSR-5/AS-6 Kingfish Anti-ship missile198436
Soviet Union Kh-28/AS-9 Kyle Anti-radar missile1983-1988250
Soviet Union R-13S/AA2S Atoll SRAAM1984-19871080
Soviet Union R-17/SS-1c Scud-B SSM1982-1988840
Soviet Union R-27/AA-10 Alamo BVRAAM1986-1989246
Soviet Union R-40R/AA-6 Acrid BVRAAM1980-1985660
Soviet Union R-60/AA-8 Aphid SRAAM1986-1989582
Soviet Union SA-8b Gecko/9M33M SAM1982-19851290
Soviet Union SA-9 Gaskin/9M31 SAM1982-19851920
Soviet Union Strela-3/SA-14 Gremlin Portable SAM1987-1988500

Political implications

The Soviet Union and her satellites were the main suppliers of arms to Iraq following the 1972 signing of the Soviet-Iraqi Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation. France was another important supplier of weapons to Iraq during the 1970s. The United States, the world's leading arms exporter, did not have normal relations with Iraq from 1967 (due to the Six-Day War) until 1984.

Soviet-Iraqi relations suffered strains in the late 1970s. When Iraq invaded Iran in 1980, the Soviet Union cut off weapons sales to Iraq and did not resume them until 1982. During the war, the People's Republic of China became a major new source of weapons for Iraq, with increasing sales from France, the U.K. and Egypt.

See also

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References

  1. Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
  2. 1 2 "Sources used in compiling the database". Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
  3. Statement by former NSC official Howard Teicher to the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida. Plain text version