The State Department approved a possible $1.1 billion Foreign Military Sales request to Iraq for pilot and maintenance training, contractor logistical support for trainer aircraft, and base support.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress of the potential sale on April 12.
The request includes the possible sale of pilot training; maintenance training; and contractor logistical services support for C-172, C-208, and T-6 aircraft for up to five years. The logistical services support includes contractor aircraft modification; repair and spare parts; publications; aircraft ferry; and miscellaneous parts.
Additional material in the request includes training base operation support, base life support, security, possible future construction, and other related elements of program support.
The primary contractor is Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology in Tulsa, Okla.
Iraq will use the training and support services to improve its ability to train its pilots and maintenance technicians. By training their own pilots and technicians in-country, Iraq will decrease its overseas training requirements and thus reduce training costs as well as enhance the country’s ability to take over the sustainment of its aircraft, DSCA said.
The agency highlighted Iraq owns 12 C-172s, five C-208, and 15 T-6 training aircraft and that “the training pipeline will allow the Iraqi Air Force to tailor pilot training for several U.S.-origin operational aircraft.”
Iraq uses C-172s and T-6s as training platforms for their mobility and attack fleets while the C-208s are their platform of choice to train intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance pilots.
Implementation of this sale will require the assignment of about four U.S. government representatives and 50-55 contractor personnel to Iraq.