:
November
2, 2012: The Iraqi Air Force is buying 28 Czech L-159 jet trainers. This is
also a light combat aircraft that also serves (when equipped with two seats) as
a trainer. The L-159 was developed by the Czech Republic in the 1990s and only
72 were built. Iraq is buying some of those that the Czech Air Force could not
afford to buy (and have been sitting in storage for the last 6-7 years) as well
as 24 new ones. Iraq will have several L-159s in use by early next year and
these will be the first jet fighters Iraq has had in service since 2003.
The
L-159 is an eight ton, single engine aircraft that can carry up to 2.3 tons of
weapons. Max speed is 936 kilometers an hour, minimum speed is 185 kilometers
an hour. Endurance is about two hours. The L-159 is equipped with combat
(air-to-air and air-to-ground) radar but cannot operate at night or in bad
weather.
Using
guided missiles and smart bombs, the L-159 is pretty effective at ground
attack. The L-159 can carry heat-seeking air-to-air missiles and, depending on
the skill of the pilot, be effective against older jet fighters. More
importantly, such an L-159 would be able to force misbehaving commercial
aircraft to land. Iraq has 36 American F-16s on order, but the first of these
will not arrive for at least three years.
Iraq
is paying a billion dollars for the L-159s. This includes training, maintenance
equipment, spare parts, and lots of bribes. (The L-159 normally sells for less
than $20 million each or $30 million if you include training, maintenance
equipment, and spare parts.)