A US M1 Abrams tank is stationed on a street as as part of Operation Thunder in Baghdad's Karadah district. (Photo by Liu Jin/AFP/Getty Images)From Popular Mechanics:
This week the Wall Street Journal reported that Iraq is starting to inquire about the purchase of F-16 fighters from the United States—another step in the process of the expected military withdrawal. The warplanes would help Iraqi forces defend against neighbors such as Iran and would provide air support for antiguerrilla campaigns—roles currently performed by U.S. forces. These warplane requests have not yet been formalized, but they fit a recent trend of large-scale weapons purchases by Iraq.
With coalition forces seemingly on their way out of the country, the Iraqi military wants the hardware that will allow its troops to counter internal and external threats. The result is a flurry of weapons sales requests that must be cleared by Congress and made public here. The formal requests, which Congress seldom denies, chronicle the efforts of a nation to build a modern military virtually from scratch. The equipment requests below were made during 2008, and the requests dwarf earlier deals: In 2007 Iraq signed contracts for $1.6 billion, while this year the requests top $9 billion, including a $1.5 billion request for C-130J transport aircraft.
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My Comment: I would hazard a guess that 80% of Iraqi military purchases will be for American equipment. The high tech stuff will be 100% American.
