11 February 2021

Iraqi F-16s still not carrying out coalition strikes

by Jeremy Binnie

Iraq’s fleet of F-16 multirole fighters have yet to be placed on US-led coalition air-tasking orders despite an improvement in availability due to the return of US contractors last year, according to a report released by the Pentagon’s Office of the Inspector General on 7 February.

The contractors supporting the F-16s left Balad Air Base at the beginning of 2020 due to an increased threat to the base, resulting in them being taken off the air-tasking orders managed by the US-led Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR).

Iraq’s fleet of F-16 multirole fighters have yet to be placed on US-led coalition air-tasking orders...

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