Possible $2B sale of F-16 weapons and support for Iraq approved

The State Department has approved the potential foreign military sale of "F-16 weapons, munitions, equipment, and logistics support" to the Iraqi government, at an estimated cost of $1.95 billion, according to a Jan. 20 Defense Security Cooperation Agency statement.

The proposed sale is a response to a request from the Iraqi government, which "requires these additional weapons, munitions, and technical services to maintain the operational capabilities of" 36 previously purchased F-16 aircraft.

According to the DSCA statement, the major defense equipment includes, but is not limited to: Twenty Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems; 24 AIM-9M Sidewinder missiles; 150 AGM-65D/G/H/K Maverick missiles; 14,120 500-lb General Purpose (GP) bomb body/warheads; and 2,400 2,000-lb GP bomb body/warheads.

"This proposed sale contributes to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a strategic partner," according to DSCA. "This proposed sale directly supports Iraq and serves the interests of the people of Iraq and the United States." The agency notes that U.S. military readiness will not be adversely affected.

"Implementation of this proposed sale requires approximately four hundred (400) U.S. Government and contractor personnel to reside in Iraq through calendar year 2020 as part of this sale to establish maintenance support, on-the-job maintenance training, and maintenance advice," the statement reads.

Lockheed Martin and Raytheon are among nine principal vendors for the proposed transaction.

DSCA notified Congress of the possible sale on Jan. 15.