The US will Train Iraqi Pilots on Beechcraft T-6A Aircraft
According to the US Department of Defense, training must begin before Q2 2018 in order to meet critical F-16 pilot demand in 2019
Ami Rojkes Dombe
| 26/07/2017
Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32953767
The US Department of Defense has awarded Textron Aviation a contract worth almost $8.8 million for the "reconstitution" of 15 Beechcraft T-6A basic trainers for the Iraqi air force, according to Flight Global.
The Iraqi Air Force began taking delivery of the T-6A training aircraft in 2009. According to IHS Jane's, a 2013 report by the US Special Inspector General of Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) said that T-6As located at Al Taji Air Base north of Baghdad had "started getting holes in their wings because no one was sweeping the runways." Since Iraqi pilots are now training on F-16IQs in the United States, it seems that the decision was taken to place the AT-6s in storage to prevent further damage ahead of the transfer of F-16 training to Iraq.
"This Foreign Military Sales Acquisition Category III program provides the aforementioned purchase of long-lead supplies required to reconstitute the aircraft for Iraq training. The work provided for under this [undefinitized contract action] must be in place to start training the Iraq T-6A fleet no later than the second quarter of 2018 in order to meet critical F-16 pilot demand in 2019. Work will be performed at [Imam Ali] Air Base, Iraq," the DoD contract notification said.
According to the US Department of Defense, training must begin before Q2 2018 in order to meet critical F-16 pilot demand in 2019
Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32953767
The US Department of Defense has awarded Textron Aviation a contract worth almost $8.8 million for the "reconstitution" of 15 Beechcraft T-6A basic trainers for the Iraqi air force, according to Flight Global.
The Iraqi Air Force began taking delivery of the T-6A training aircraft in 2009. According to IHS Jane's, a 2013 report by the US Special Inspector General of Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) said that T-6As located at Al Taji Air Base north of Baghdad had "started getting holes in their wings because no one was sweeping the runways." Since Iraqi pilots are now training on F-16IQs in the United States, it seems that the decision was taken to place the AT-6s in storage to prevent further damage ahead of the transfer of F-16 training to Iraq.
"This Foreign Military Sales Acquisition Category III program provides the aforementioned purchase of long-lead supplies required to reconstitute the aircraft for Iraq training. The work provided for under this [undefinitized contract action] must be in place to start training the Iraq T-6A fleet no later than the second quarter of 2018 in order to meet critical F-16 pilot demand in 2019. Work will be performed at [Imam Ali] Air Base, Iraq," the DoD contract notification said.
