Irakul a primit primul avion F-16IQ Bk.52 nou-nout din comanda de 36 de bucati aprobata de guvernul american.
Avionul a fost predat simbolic ambasadorului irakian la Washington in cadrul unei ceremonii organizata la fabrica celor de la Lockheed din Forth Worth, Texas.
Pentru impresia artistica, pe noul F-16 au fost puse toate chestiile ce puteau fi puse, incepand cu rachetele AIM-9L/M si terminand cu rachetele AGM-65 Maverick. Plus rezervoarele suplimentare.
Apropo de rezervoare, F-16 irakiene n-au rezervoare conforme. Ai zice ca pentru o tara care extrage milioane de tone de petrol, kerosenul n-ar fi o problema.
Glumim, glumim, dar ma vad nevoit sa repet: Irakul a cumparat 36 de avioane F-16 noi-noute. Irakul pustiit de Saddam si, mai ales, de cei care i-au urmat.The Iraqi Air Force can list a fighter aircraft in the inventory for the first time in more than a decade on 5 June with the delivery of the first of 36 Lockheed Martin F-16IQ Block 52 aircraft on order.
Iraqi ambassador Lukman Faily formally received the two-seat, Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229-powered F-16IQ during a ceremony at Lockheed’s factory in Fort Worth, Texas, becoming the 28th country to take delivery of a the 40-year-old F-16.
As the first of six two-seat F-16Ds on order – along with 30 single-seat F-16Cs – the aircraft was delivered with a full load of weapons on the wings, including four Raytheon AIM-9L/M heat-seeking air-to-air missiles, two AGM-65 Maverick missiles and a Lockheed Martin AAQ-33 Sniper targeting pod. Iraq is also cleared to receive four Goodrich DB-110 reconnaissance pods, precision-guided Paveway bombs and Raytheon AIM-7 Sparrow radar-guided, medium-range missiles.
Perfect….in cateva zile rebelii irakieni o sa aiba si F 16, nu doar blindate americane. 🙂
Situatia politica din Irak este din ce in ce mai incurcata. Cum era de asteptat, baietii au inceput sa se bata pe chestii religioase.