Baghdad Would Have To Assure That Technology Would Not Wander Away

U.S. officials are mulling the sale of as many as 36 F-16 fighters to Iraq, the equivalent of two squadrons. An agreement had previously been reached to sell 18 of the jets to Iraq, but the transaction was never completed.

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The Wall Street Journal reports that the sale could be worth several billion dollars, depending on negotiations with Lockheed Martin. The previous deal had been priced at $4.2 billion.

The paper reports that the first squadron would be purchased by Iraq in two installments. The second part of the deal would consist of the rest of the jets along with ground support, radar, and other air-defense systems.

A principal driver of the negotiations is the increasing influence of Iran in the region, and Baghdad would need to be able to assure U.S. officials that the F-16 technology would not wind up in the hands of that country's military. If the deal goes through, Iraqi military officials say that the fighters would be based at Balad air base in Salahaddin Province north of Baghdad, and the Ali air base in Nassiriya, Dhi Qar Province, in southern Iraq.

FMI: www.dod.gov