The State Department approved a possible $295.6 million Foreign Military Sales request to Iraq for equipment for two Peshmerga infantry brigades and two support artillery battalions.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress of the potential sale on April 18.
The request includes the possible sale of equipment needed to fully outfit two full Peshmerga Regional Brigades of light infantry and two artillery battalions that will provide support to those brigades.
Equipment requested includes: 4,400 M16A4 rifles; 46 M2 50 caliber machine guns; 186 M240B machine guns; 36 M1151 HMMWVs; 77 M1151 up-armored HMMWVs; 12 Three Kilowatt Tactical Quiet Generator sets; body armor, helmets, and other Organization Clothing and Individual Equipment; small arms and associated accessories including tripods, cleaning kits, magazines, and mounts; mortar systems and associated equipment; Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive detection and protective equipment; and dismounted and mounted radio systems.
They also request commercial navigation equipment including compasses, binoculars, and Geospatial Position System (GPS) limited to the Standard Positioning System (SPS); M1142 HMMWVs (Humvees); medical equipment; Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles; cargo and transportation equipment, including light tactical vehicles, medium tactical vehicles, water trucks, fuel trucks, and ambulances; 36 refurbished M119A2 105mm howitzers; and spare parts, training and associated equipment related to the mentioned vehicles and artillery systems.
DSCA noted these units will operate under the Kurdistan Regional Governments Ministry of Peshmerga with the concurrence of the central government. The Peshmerga are the military forces of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region.
The primary contractors include AM General, Oshkosh Corp. [OSK], Navistar International Corp. [NAV], Harris Corp. [HRS], and Colt.
Iraqi forces will use this equipment to continue to degrade and defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, DSCA said.
The agency also said implementation of this sale will not require the deployment of additional U.S. government or contractor personnel to Iraq.