French aerospace company to equip Iraq with radar systems

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The French Thales company is set to equip Iraq with at least two types of advanced radar systems to bolster the country’s air defense capabilities.

The foundation stone for a command and control operations center was laid in a ceremony in Baghdad on Sunday.

Per a deal struck with the European company, Iraq is expected to receive four long-range Ground Master 403 mobile radar systems as part of the first delivery phase, Thales representative Emmanuel Younk Foy told Iraqi state media.

The detection technology is among the most advanced in the field, according to Foy. 

A number of medium-range Ground Master 200 radar systems will also be provided to the country in the second phase, he added. 

The systems will be “helpful for us in defending Iraq,” commander of the Iraqi Air Force General Shihab Jahid Ali told Kurdistan 24 on Sunday. 

Thales is set to train Iraqi technicians to maintain and operate the systems independently, Foy said. 

The Iraqi Air Force was established in 1931. Today its premier fighter jets are U.S.-built F-16s. It also recently received South Korean-made trainer jets. 

The Iraqi Air Force routinely carries out airstrikes targeting ISIS hideouts in remote areas.