Iraq has 21 Sukhoi aircraft
Iraqi Sukhoi aircraft. File photo.
(IraqiNews.com) Baghdad – Analysis of satellite imagery from July confirmed that the Iraqi Air Force , in its armory, has 21 Su-25 Frogfoot attack jets at Al Rashid air base.
Iraqi pilots confirmed that Iraq has received 21 Su-25 jets, but they also claimed that there was no recent delivery and the last delivery was made to them in April earlier this year.
“Three of the Sukhois are out of service after meeting with accidents. So, as of now, only 18 of the jets are available for operations,” the pilots added.
Iraq’s Su-25s arrived in several batches beginning in 2014. On June 28, 2014, following ISIS capture of the main cities in Anbar province, the Iraqi Air Force urgently requested for two Su-25SMs from Russia, and the same was delivered promptly to Iraq.
Three more warplanes arrived in the next few days and was deployed at Ali Air Base, where technicians from the 121st Aircraft Repair Plant brought them to flying condition.
On July 1, 2014, three of the seven Su-25s were thus in operational condition with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Air and Space Force also arrived in Baghdad.
Two Iraqi and two Iranian pilots flew the former Iranian Su-25s from Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran to Ilam Airport in western Iran, and arriving on June 18. Iraqi pilots conducted several training flights before transiting to Al Rashid Air Base in Iraq.
The last four Iranian Su-25s — Su-25KM and Su-25UBKM arrived at Al Rashid air base on the following day.