Iraq turns its eye on Russian weapons

BAGHDAD - Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi has received an official invitation from the Russian president to visit Moscow later this month to discuss arming Iraq for its war on terrorism, Iraq’s government spokesman said Sunday.

Saad al-Hadithi said that Abadi will discuss relations between Baghdad and Moscow in all aspects, but most importantly, “They will talk about armaments and Russia’s help in security and the terrorism challenge.”

“The other topic would be about investment and the entry of Russian companies in rebuilding Iraq’s infrastructure and their active role in the oil and power industry,” al-Hadithi told the Al Arabiya TV.

The Iraqi prime minister received the invitation from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during his recent visit to Baghdad.

Iraq and Russia have a $4.2 billion outstanding arms deal that was signed by former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki on a visit to Moscow in 2012.

The deal was put on hold amid a corruption and bribery scandal involving senior Iraqi defense officials.

However, Russia Today reported last year that Baghdad and Moscow have agreed to resume the deal, through which Russia would supply Iraq with 48 Pantsir-S1 short-to-medium-range air defense systems and 28 Mil Mi-28NE strike helicopters.

The announcement of the invitation to Abadi comes at a time when the US congress is studying a bill that would authorize the direct supply of arms to the Kurds without going via the central government in Baghdad.

Last summer, after Islamic State (ISIS) occupied a third of Iraq in a lightning attack, Moscow quickly delivered five Sukhoi-25 fighter jets bought by Baghdad second hand from Russia.

sheytanelkebir wrote:posted today from basra.

more stuff unloading.

the number of transporters indicates roughly how many pieces of armour arrived.

Although Haider Abadi (iraqi PM) has not yet arrived in Moscow... the rumour mills already in overdrive.

They're saying the next Iraqi Russian deal will be for $3Bn worth of arms.
http://english.shafaaq.com/politics/14310-iraq-buys-russian-weapons-and-helicopters-worth-$-3-billion.html


That would bring Iraqi-Russian arms agreements since 2012 to :
$4.2Bn in 2012
$1Bn in 2014
$3Bn in 2015

Over $8Bn in the past 3 years.

Flyboy77 wrote:

Are they just new Tos-1 and support vehicles or does it include other types of armour?  

medo wrote:Maybe those are ex-hungarian, which Czechs sell to Iraq.

mutantsushi wrote:

medo wrote:Maybe those are ex-hungarian, which Czechs sell to Iraq.

I had been reading about Serbian surplus T-72s and other equipment, possibly being sold to Kievan Ukraine, but could be headed to Iraq also?

medo wrote:Maybe those are ex-hungarian, which Czechs sell to Iraq.

mutantsushi wrote:

medo wrote:Maybe those are ex-hungarian, which Czechs sell to Iraq.

I had been reading about Serbian surplus T-72s and other equipment, possibly being sold to Kievan Ukraine, but could be headed to Iraq also?

sheytanelkebir wrote:This was expected and was part of the original 2012 contract. I should have alluded to it  somewhere in this thread.
http://iraqimilitary.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2292&sid=5893e18e5c4b6e661a4425ceef71d47a

Here's a "final" unit. Looks slightly different to original.

par far wrote:I hope Russia sells Iraq anything(and I mean anything) Iraq asks for, don't hold back from foreign pressure.  

Werewolf wrote:

par far wrote:I hope Russia sells Iraq anything(and I mean anything) Iraq asks for, don't hold back from foreign pressure.  

No, S-300,350,400, No Ka-52, No Su-30/35, MiG-35, No T-90MS  overall No latest technology simple as that, the US and its agents ISIS are in Iraq, as soon this ISIS paid CIA and Mossad Agents would seize any modern and new russian weapon they would hand it over to CIA/Mossad for money just like they did in the past with Taliban paying them thousands or tenthousands of dollars and seizing multi million worth technology for copying or studying just like T-72B, Kontakt ERA, MSTA-S and T-80U via Marocco etc pp... just no latest technology for any instable or non military allied country.