Armée Irakienne / Iraqi Armed Forces

Rappel du premier message :

Citation :

Iraq seeks to buy 36 F-16 fighters from U.S

Fri Sep 5, 5:32 AM ET

(Reuters) - The Iraqi government is seeking to buy 36 advanced F-16 fighters from the U.S., American military officials familiar with the request told the Wall Street Journal.


This move could help Iraq reduce its reliance on U.S. air power and potentially allow more American forces to withdraw from the country than had been proposed.

The F-16, made by Lockheed Martin Corp, is the most sophisticated weapons system Iraq has attempted to purchase so far.

Late in July, the U.S. Department of Defense had approved up to $10.7 billion in arms sales for Iraq, including a $2.16 billion sale of M1A1 Abrams tanks built by General Dynamics Corp.

The U.S. recently announced F-16 sales to Morocco and Romania. Those sales, each for roughly $100 million per plane with training, related equipment and support included, offer an indication of how lucrative the Iraq deal could be for Lockheed Martin and its suppliers.

Iraq now appears determined to significantly expand the air power of its military, which has become more competent and confident in recent months but depends heavily on the U.S. for air support.

Iraq quickly has become one of the biggest weapons buyers in the world as it seeks to strengthen and professionalise its fighting force.

No one was available at the U.S. Department of Defense for comment.

(Reporting by Sweta Singh in Bangalore, editing by Will Waterman)

EDIT:please mettez vos articles tjs en forme

Citation :

Le premier F-16 irakien prend son envol
Le 07/05/2014 à 15h56, par Guillaume Steuer



Il devrait être le premier d'une série de 36 appareils : le F-16D immatriculé IAF1601 a effectué son vol inaugural le 2 mai au départ de l'usine Lockheed Martin de Fort Worth, dans le Texas, selon un communiqué publié aujourd'hui par l'avionneur américain.

La livraison des appareils à la force aérienne renaissante de Bagdad devrait commencer "plus tard dans l'année", d'après l'industriel.

D'après la demande FMS déposée devant le Congrès américain en 2010 pour un premier lot de 18 appareils (suivi l'année suivante par un second lot de même ampleur), ces appareils devraient être au standard F-16C/D Block 52 et dotés de capacités multirôles. Les informations diffusées alors par l'agence de coopération et de défense américaine (DSCA) faisaient alors état d'un armement plutôt rudimentaire, composé de missiles air-air à guidage semi-actif AIM-7 Sparrow ou bien encore de missiles air-sol AGM-65 Maverick.   

http://www.air-cosmos.com/2014/05/07/22284-le-premier-f-16-irakien-prend-son-envol

Qui aurait pensé à une telle photo y a 15 ans   

moi perso j'aurai préféré qu'ils achètent des su 30 ou des mig 29 avec R77 au lieu des F16 sans AIM-120 AMRAAM

Faut bien que Jack, travaillant dans les usines de LM puisse continuer à manger, après tout, il a bien sacrifié son cousin John, combattant de la Liberté et soldat US pour libérer l'Irak.

oui malheureusement tu a raison , c'est ça le prix qu'il faut payer

la honte un F-16 neuf avec des point d'attache du F-16A et AIM-7 la honte

rmaf a écrit:

la honte un F-16 neuf avec des point d'attache du F-16A et AIM-7 la honte

comment aurait-il pu en être autrement  

et on en a pas encore fini croyez moi   

Rajouter ce contrat a celui des Apaches , et vous avez les 2 arnaques du siècle

F16 Les Iraniens sont entains de se frotter les mains pour les pieces de rechange et les nouvelles technologies le USA sont entrain de faire une grande connerie,ils vont la payer chere.

juba2 a écrit:

F16 Les Iraniens sont entains de se frotter les mains pour les pieces de rechange et les nouvelles technologies le USA sont entrain de faire une grande connerie,ils vont la payer chere.

il est bridé   

  Le retour sur investissement continu .
   Par contre bravo a l'EM irakien pour cet effort de reconstruction de leur armée , on voit qu'il y a une réelle volonté de tout mettre en oeuvre et se donner les moyens de remettre sur les rails le pays , au moins au niveau sécuritaire et militairement . Louable .

Citation :

WASHINGTON, May 13, 2014 - The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Iraq for AT-6C Texan II aircraft and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $790 million.  The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on May 13, 2014.

The Government of Iraq has requested a possible sale of 24 AT-6C Texan II Aircraft, 2 spare PT-6A-68 Turboprop engines, 2 spare ALE-47 Counter-Measure Dispensing Systems and/or 2 spare AAR-47 Missile Launch Detection Systems, non-SAASM global positioning systems with CMA-4124, spare and repair parts, maintenance, support equipment, publications and technical documentation, tanker support, ferry services, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor engineering and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is $790 million.

This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a strategic partner.  This proposed sale directly supports the Government of Iraq and serves the interests of the people of Iraq and the United States.  

The proposed sale of these aircraft, equipment, and support will enhance the ability of the Iraqi forces to sustain themselves in their efforts to bring stability to Iraq and to prevent overflow of unrest into neighboring countries.

The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.

The principal contractors will be:  
Beechcraft Defense Company, Wichita, Kansas
Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training, Oswego, New York
CAE USA, Little Rock, Arkansas and Tampa, Florida
Pratt & Whitney Corporation, Quebec, Canada and Bridgeport, West Virginia
Martin Baker in Middlesex, United Kingdom
Hartzell Propeller, Piqua, Ohio
Canadian Marconi, Montreal, Canada
L-3COM Wescam, Burlington, Canada
L-3COM Systems West, Salt Lake City, Utah
There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.

The proposed sale will involve multiple trips to Iraq involving many U.S. government and contractor representatives over a period of 15 years for program management, program and technical reviews, training, maintenance support, and site surveys.  

There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.

This notice of a potential sale is required by law and does not mean the sale has been concluded.

All questions regarding this proposed Foreign Military Sale should be directed to the State Department's Bureau of Political Military Affairs, Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, pm-cpa@state.gov.

http://www.dsca.mil/major-arms-sales/iraq-6c-texan-ii-aircraft

Citation :

WASHINGTON, May 13, 2014 – The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Iraq for M1151A1 Up-Armored High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs) and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $101 million.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on May 13, 2014. The Government of Iraq has requested a possible sale of 200 M1151A1 Up-Armored High Mobility Multi- Purpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs) with M2 .50 cal. machine gun mounts, commercial radios, communication equipment, repair and spare parts, publications and technical documentation, tools and test equipment, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor logistics and technical support services, and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is $101 million.

This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a strategic partner. This proposed sale directly supports the Government of Iraq and serves the interests of the people of Iraq and the United States.

The proposed sale of the M1151 HMMWV’s would facilitate progress towards increasing the Iraq’s ability to defend its oil infrastructure against terrorist attacks. Iraq will use the HMMWVs to increase the safety, effectiveness, and self-reliance of the Iraqi Army’s Oil Pipeline Security Division. Iraq will have no difficulty absorbing these additional HMMWVs into its armed forces.

The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.

The principal contractor will be AM General in South Bend, Indiana. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connections with this potential sale.

Implementation of this proposed sale will not require U.S Government or contractor representatives to travel to Iraq.

There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.

This notice of a potential sale is required by law and does not mean the sale has been concluded.

All questions regarding this proposed Foreign Military Sale should be directed to the State Department's Bureau of Political Military Affairs, Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, pm-cpa@state.gov.

http://www.dsca.mil/major-arms-sales/iraq-m1151a1-armored-high-mobility-multi-purpose-wheeled-vehicles-hmmwvs

Citation :

Iraq - AT-6C Texan II Aircraft

WASHINGTON, May 13, 2014 - The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Iraq for AT-6C Texan II aircraft and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $790 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on May 13, 2014.

The Government of Iraq has requested a possible sale of 24 AT-6C Texan II Aircraft, 2 spare PT-6A-68 Turboprop engines, 2 spare ALE-47 Counter-Measure Dispensing Systems and/or 2 spare AAR-47 Missile Launch Detection Systems, non-SAASM global positioning systems with CMA-4124, spare and repair parts, maintenance, support equipment, publications and technical documentation, tanker support, ferry services, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor engineering and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is $790 million.

This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a strategic partner. This proposed sale directly supports the Government of Iraq and serves the interests of the people of Iraq and the United States.

The proposed sale of these aircraft, equipment, and support will enhance the ability of the Iraqi forces to sustain themselves in their efforts to bring stability to Iraq and to prevent overflow of unrest into neighboring countries.

The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.

The principal contractors will be:
Beechcraft Defense Company, Wichita, Kansas
Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training, Oswego, New York
CAE USA, Little Rock, Arkansas and Tampa, Florida
Pratt & Whitney Corporation, Quebec, Canada and Bridgeport, West Virginia
Martin Baker in Middlesex, United Kingdom
Hartzell Propeller, Piqua, Ohio
Canadian Marconi, Montreal, Canada
L-3COM Wescam, Burlington, Canada
L-3COM Systems West, Salt Lake City, Utah
There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.

The proposed sale will involve multiple trips to Iraq involving many U.S. government and contractor representatives over a period of 15 years for program management, program and technical reviews, training, maintenance support, and site surveys.

There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.

This notice of a potential sale is required by law and does not mean the sale has been concluded.

All questions regarding this proposed Foreign Military Sale should be directed to the State Department's Bureau of Political Military Affairs, Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, pm-cpa@state.gov.

http://www.dsca.mil

Citation :

Iraq Buys Aircraft from Pakistan Following Iran, Syria & Saudi Arabia



Iraq like its neighbors Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia, has placed an order with Pakistan to buy MFI-395 ‘Super Mushshak’ trainer aircraft. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a high level meeting with Iraqi officials committed to extend full support to Iraqi Defense Forces in imparting necessary training to its personnel and development of infrastructure to meet Iraqi security needs. The Prime Minister apprised visiting Iraqi officials that Pakistan Air Force has one of the best aviation training institutes and training staff in the world. Pakistan has been assisting friendly countries in aviation training since long, and can help Iraqi Air Force attain new heights of professionalism by training its personnel to meet modern day warfare challenges.

The air forces of Pakistan and Iraq have endorsed signatures on two agreements. The first one deals with training of Iraqi Air Force personnel and the second one is a sales contract for supplying twenty Super Mushshak MFI-17 aircraft to Iraq. To meet the current sales order, manufacturing shall soon commence at Aircraft Manufacturing Factory (AMF), Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, at Kamra. Former customers of the aircraft include Denmark, Norway, Sierra Leone, Zambia, Iran, Oman, Syria and Saudi Arabia.

The trainer aircraft being exported by Pakistan is a two seat (with option for a third rear seat) propeller driver aircraft. It was originally designed and built by Swedish company SAAB as MFI-17 ‘Safari Supporter’. However, when SAAB stopped production of the aircraft, Pakistan initiated under license manufacturing of the MFI-17 aircraft by the name of ‘Mushshak’ (Proficient). The aircraft has proven to be an effective trainer aircraft and has been adequately serving the needs of Pakistan Air Force and Pakistan Army.

The original ‘Mushshak’ (MFI-17) has undergone significant metamorphosis, and the latest version called the ‘Super Mushshak’ (MFI-395), incorporates a 260 HP (horse-power) Textron Lycoming engine, a state of the art glass cockpit featuring the Garmin 900X (on NG version), dual controls and an efficient fuel injection system. In recent years, the Super Mushshak has performed at the Dubai Air Show leaving spectators quite impressed with the agility of this small trainer aircraft and its glass cockpit suite. Middle Eastern countries like Syria, Iran, Qatar, Oman, Jordan and Saudi Arabia have showed interest in placing orders for Pakistani manufactured aircraft, which are economically more viable with performance equivalent to compatible western aircraft.

The Super Mushshak is an excellent platform for imparting basic flight training, formation flying, instrument and navigation flying. It features six hard-points beneath its wings which can accommodate a variety of small rockets, bombs and gun pods, if the need arises. The aircraft possesses essential capabilities of a basic COIN (Counter-Insurgency) aircraft and its predecessor models were deployed during the Biafran civil war. Similarly, Iraq would have the option of using its fleet of Mushshak aircraft to complement its counter-insurgency efforts.

Super Mushshak was bought by Syria, Iran and Saudi Arabia a few years back and these countries have successfully deployed the Pakistani built flying machine for primary training of its defense forces pilots. Pakistani aircraft manufacturing capabilities have enhanced over the years with the co-production of K-8 jet trainer aircraft and JF-17 ‘Thunder’ multi-role fighter aircraft, in a joint venture with China. Pakistan has stepped up its efforts to solicit aircraft orders from friendly countries in the Middle East and beyond to bolster its aircraft production capability and brand recognition in the regional market.

by Omar Khan

http://guardianlv.com

Citation :

Oto Melara 76/62 Super Rapid guns selected for Iraqi Navy Corvettes



OTO Melara goes aboard the Musa Bin Nasir and Tariq Bin Ziyad corvettes, as part of an agreement being finalized between Fincantieri and the Iraqi government. The vessels will be equipped with 76/62 guns, one of the most successful solutions of the company.

The 76/62 Super Rapid (SR) Gun Mount is a light weight, rapid-fire naval gun providing unrivalled performance and flexibility in any air defence and anti-surface role, particularly in anti-missile role.

Capability for very effective engagement of shore-based targets is also provided for unique multi-role performance. The 76/62 SR is suitable for installation on ships of any type and class, including small naval units.

OTO Melara is a world leader in design and production from small- to large-calibre naval guns, with R&D capabilities ranging from naval guns to conventional and guided ammunition, from artillery to turrets, from missile launchers to airborne armament.

http://www.navyrecognition.com

Caiman MRAP dans l'armée irakienne

Citation :

Lockheed to deliver first of 36 F-16s to Iraq this week

(Reuters) - Lockheed Martin Corp this week will deliver the first of 36 F-16 fighter jets to Iraq, marking what Baghdad's envoy to the United States called a "new chapter" in his country's ability to defend its vast borders with Iran and other neighbors.

Iraqi Ambassador Lukman Faily will travel to Lockheed's Fort Worth, Texas, plant on Thursday for a ceremony at which Lockheed and the U.S. government will formally deliver the first F-16 to Iraq.

A group of three or four new jets will be ferried to Iraq before the end of the year.

"Iraq is a large country with over 3,600 km of borders, and we need to protect them," Faily told Reuters in a telephone interview. "We as a country didn't have that capability before."

Iraq has had no real air force since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 that eventually toppled Saddam Hussein.

Baghdad has also signed military contracts with Russia and the Czech Republic, among others, and has said it will not be able to fully defend its airspace until 2020.

Iraq also plans to buy Boeing Co Apache helicopters and other weapons from the U.S. government as it assumes responsibility for its own defense and counterterrorism efforts.

Faily said the U.S. government appreciated the urgency and scale of the challenge that Iraqi is facing given continued and mounting strife with insurgents.

"They know that the sooner and the wider capabilities they provide us, the more ability we will have to reduce the vicious cycle of killing where the terrorists are attacking our people," he said.

Faily said Iraq was completing work on the air base in Balad where the new jets will be housed. He said some Iraqi pilots had already been trained to fly the new planes, and more were in training now.

Iraq ordered a first batch of 18 F-16s in 2011 for $3 billion, followed by a second order of 18 jets in October 2012.

Lockheed is building the F-16s for Iraq under a contract from the Pentagon that also includes mission equipment and a support package provided by Lockheed and other companies.

Lockheed said the Iraqi order would keep the F-16 production line running through late 2017, but it continues to bid for new orders in hopes of continuing production through 2020. The company has built more than 4,540 F-16 aircraft to date.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal, editing by G Crosse)

Cérémonie pour le 1er F-16IQ livré.

le gros incarne bien l´image d´un irakien qui a recu un gros suppositoire  

Citation :

Iraqi Abrams losses revealed

Jeremy Binnie, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly

18 June 2014


These images were posted on a pro-ISIL Twitter account on 6 June and are in the order they were originally released.
Source: Al-Anbar News

The armour on five of Iraq's M1A1 Abrams tanks was penetrated by anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) and six helicopters were shot down between 1 January and the end of May, The New York Times quoted an unnamed US official as saying on 13 June.

The official said 28 Iraqi Army Abrams had been damaged in fighting with militants, five of them suffering full armour penetration when hit by ATGMs. The United States supplied 140 refurbished M1A1 Abrams tanks to Iraq between 2010 and 2012. While they have new equipment to improve situational awareness, they do not have the depleted uranium amour package that increases protection over the tank's frontal arc.

The penetration of a tank's armour by a shaped-charge warhead increases the likelihood of crew casualties, but does not necessarily result in the destruction of the vehicle, especially if it has a dedicated ammunition compartment, as in the case of the Abrams.

However, the US official said the Iraqi Army has problems maintaining its Abrams, suggesting it will struggle to get damaged tanks back into service.

At least one video has emerged showing an Abrams 'brew up' after being hit by an ATGM during fighting this year in the western province of Al-Anbar. Militants operating in Al-Anbar have also released images of numerous attacks on other Abrams tanks, including ones involving a 9K11 Kornet ATGM, RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenade launchers, and a M70 Osa rocket launcher. The latter is a Yugoslavian weapon that has been widely used by insurgents in neighbouring Syria, but is rarely seen in Iraq.

The damage inflicted on the tanks has been difficult to assess from the images. These mostly seem to be stills from unreleased videos and tend to show spectacular explosions, but not the state of the vehicles after the attacks.

Only one sequence of images posted on a pro-Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) Twitter account on 6 June appears to show an Abrams actually being destroyed. A militant is seen placing a charge on the tank and an object is also thrown into an open turret hatch. Flames are then seen coming out of the hatches. The fate of the crew is unclear.

Another sequence posted on 28 May purportedly shows the same militant placing a charge on or in the turret of another Abrams in a hull-down position. While the extent of the damage caused by the resulting explosion is unclear, the fact that militants are repeatedly getting close to the tanks suggests the vehicles lack adequate infantry support.

Other types of armoured vehicle in service with the Iraqi Army appear to have suffered higher attrition rates than the Abrams. Militants have released many images showing destroyed or captured Humvees, M113 armoured personnel carriers (APCs), and mine resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicles.

The Soviet-era armour the Iraqi Army has been using in Al-Anbar has also suffered losses, including MT-LB multipurpose armoured vehicles, a BMP-1, and T-55 tanks.

The US official also said that six Iraqi helicopters had been shot down and 60 damaged in combat between 1 January and the end of May. This represents a significant proportion of the Iraqi Army Aviation Command's assets. Another helicopter was shot down by a light anti-aircraft gun (LAAG) over Al-Saqlawiyah on 16 June; its two crew members were killed.

It is unclear what helicopters the Iraqis have lost, but militants have released footage shot using an infrared camera of heavy machine guns or LAAGs bringing down at least two Mi-24/35 combat helicopters carrying out low-altitude rocket attacks.

http://www.janes.com/article/39550/iraqi-abrams-losses-revealed  

Citation :

Russia to Fulfill All Military Contract Obligations with Iraq


PARIS, June 18 (RIA Novosti) – All the military contract obligations with Iraq will be fulfilled, Igor Sevastyanov, the head of the Russian delegation to the Eurosatory 2014 international defense and security exhibition and deputy director of Russia’s arms exporter Rosoboronexport told journalists Wednesday.

“Everything that has been signed will be carried out in accordance with the contractual agreements, except for force majeure circumstances,” said Sevastyanov.

International defense and security exhibition Eurosatory 2014 opened on June 16 in Paris and will go on till June 20.

Russia and Iraq signed a package deal on military technical cooperation in 2012, worth $4.3 billion. The deal included the export modification of Russia’s night-time strike helicopter Mi-28N, dubbed “Night Hunter” and Mi-35 attack helicopters, a total of 40 aircraft. In November 2013 Iraq received the first batch of Mi-35 and in January 2014 - Mi-28N.

In the light of sanctions against Russia several NATO politicians criticized France for fulfilling the contract with Russia on Mistral warships, requesting to stop military cooperation with Moscow. Later Russian President Vladimir Putin met with French President Francois Hollande to discuss the prospects of bilateral relations. There were no public announcements after the meeting.

Citation :

Iraq Eyes Czech Mi 24 helos To Combat ISIL Militants

WARSAW — Czech Defense Minister Martin Stropnicky has announced the Czech Republic is in talks to sell Russian-built Mil Mi-24 helicopters to the Iraqi Defense Ministry.

“They have shown interest in the helicopters,” Stropnicky told local daily Mlada fronta DNES.

Currently, the Czech Air Force operates 17 Mi-24 helos. Of these, seven aircraft could be sold to the Iraqi government, according to Czech ministry officials.

The minister said that, in addition to the helos, the Iraqi government has expressed interest in purchasing Aero L-159 light combat aircraft, which are made by Czech producer Aero Vodochody.

Should the deal go through, the helos will be modernized and Iraqi pilots will undergo training in the Czech Republic. The copters are to be used to bolster Iraqi efforts to combat Sunni insurgents in the country’s north, where militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) captured several cities this month.

The twin-engine aircraft is a combat helo with transport capabilities. It is enabled with a maximum speed of 310 kilometers per hour, has a load capacity of 2.4 tons, and a flight range of 750 kilometers, according to data from the Czech Defense Ministry. The aircraft is manufactured by the Moscow Mil helicopter plant.

The Czech copters are estimated to be worth about 34.5 million krona (US $1.7 million) each, which would put the potential deal at about $12 million. ■

http://www.defensenews.com

Citation :

Publié le 19-06-2014  

L’armée irakienne gangrénée par les dépendances et les lacunes

par Romain Mielcarek

L'effondrement de l'armée irakienne face à la progression des combattants de l'Etat islamique en Irak et au Levant (EILL) est le résultat de nombreux dysfonctionnements. Des lacunes graves en matière de management, de logistique ou encore d'organisation n'ont pas aidé à renforcer une force de soldats peu motivés. Le tout dans un contexte de vassalisation au profit du Premier ministre.

L’offensive des jihadistes en Irak, au début du mois de juin, a marqué les esprits tant par la capacité des combattants de l’Etat islamique en Irak et au Levant (EIIL) à mener une opération d’envergure, que par l’incapacité de l’armée irakienne à lui tenir tête. Cette dernière a donné l’impression d’une immense débandade, abandonnant uniformes et armements aux mains des conquérants.

Les combats entre ces deux camps durent pourtant depuis l'automne dernier. Les jihadistes d’EIIL ont multiplié les attaques et les attentats jusque dans la capitale irakienne, ramenant l’Irak au même niveau de violence qu’en 2005-2006. Ses contingents ont progressivement pris le contrôle de la ville de Falloujah et de toute une partie de la province de l’Anbar, avant cette dernière avancée massive qui a vu tomber toute une partie du pays dont les villes de Mossoul, Tikrit et Ramadi. Tant bien que mal, les militaires présents dans ces régions ont tenté de tenir tête à leurs ennemis, sans parvenir à limiter leur infiltration dans l’ensemble de ces territoires... jusqu'à la grande débandade de ces derniers jours.

Malgré des effectifs de près de 300 000 hommes, la nouvelle armée irakienne, née en 2004 après l’invasion américaine, a très mal vécu le départ de ses alliés. Stéphane Taillat, chercheur aux Ecoles de Saint-Cyr Coëtquidan et auteur d’une thèse sur l’action militaire américaine en Irak, y voit le résultat d’un retrait rapide des Américains : « l’armée irakienne était trop dépendante des Etats-Unis. Lorsqu’ils sont partis, elle s’est retrouvée en proie aux luttes politiques. » Pour lui, si Washington s’était efforcé de mixer le corps des officiers, le Premier ministre irakien Nouri al-Maliki s’est employé à partir de 2010 à purger celui-ci en favorisant la progression très rapide de chefs militaires chiites lui étant favorables... sans condition de compétences.

« Est-ce que je veux mourir pour Maliki ? »

Aux Etats-Unis, de nombreux militaires ont commencé à désigner le Premier ministre irakien comme responsable du délitement de l’armée. Derek Harvey, un ancien officier et fonctionnaire du renseignement militaire ayant servi dans ce pays, comprend que les soldats irakiens tournent casaque : « est-ce que je veux mourir pour Maliki ? », doivent se demander ces hommes humblement rémunérés. Oublié, l’effort de mixité d’il y a quelques années, les chefs sont désormais majoritairement chiites et proches du chef du gouvernement.

Même sans cette vassalisation politique, Stéphane Taillat rappelle qu’en 2008-2009, les autorités militaires américaines ne croyaient déjà pas à la capacité de l’armée irakienne d’assurer sa mission seule avant l’horizon 2020. Un constat que rappellent certains officiers dans les médias anglo-saxons. Ainsi, Rick Brennan, devenu conseiller politique du Pentagone après sa carrière d’officier, dénonce un manque de capacités aériennes : « Il apparait que l’armée irakienne n’a aucun moyen de se protéger avec un appui aérien rapproché en cas de débordement, remarque-t-il. Au niveau d’une unité, lorsque l’on se fait frapper, on abandonne simplement son poste, sunnites comme chiites, à une échelle qui n’avait pas été anticipée, abandonnant probablement derrière eux des centaines de milliers de dollars d’équipement. » Même constat chez Michael D. Barbero, qui a longtemps servi sur ce théâtre d’opérations et qui ne voit chez les Irakiens qu’une « armée de checkpoint », incapable de se reposer sur un effort de renseignement et des capacités de contre-insurrection indispensables pour affronter les jihadistes.

Le Premier ministre Nouri al-Maliki se voit aujourd’hui accusé d’avoir utilisé l’armée irakienne comme un outil au service de son propre pouvoir, ajoutant aux défaillances structurelles. Les divisions les plus opérationnelles et les plus éprouvées, notamment les forces spéciales, sont largement consacrées à sa propre protection, à celle de la capitale et à celle des installations pétrolifères. Dans les régions plus exposées, le long de la frontière avec la Syrie et autour des deux fleuves, le Tigre et l’Euphrate, ce sont ainsi des contingents plus légers qui se sont retrouvés face aux hommes de l’EIIL.

Longue agonie d’une armée pleine de trous

L'armée irakienne souffre cruellement d'un fort taux d'absentéisme et de désertion dans ses rangs, ainsi que d'un manque de délégation de la part des officiers supérieurs auprès de leurs subalternes. Le colonel Michel Goya, chercheur militaire et auteur de Irak, les armées du chaos(Economica, 2008), insiste aussi sur de graves déficiences logistiques. « Les unités irakiennes sont peu mobiles, explique-t-il. Elles dépendent des civils pour assurer leur ravitaillement, notamment en nourriture. Et les civils, eux, ne bougent pas. »

Pour lui, les forces déployées dans le nord et l’ouest du pays sont fatiguées par les combats qui se multiplient depuis plusieurs mois. « Ils ont essayé de défendre l’Euphrate, sans vraie efficacité militaire, souligne-t-il. A Falloujah, ils n’ont même pas osé. Et la prise de Falloujah a certainement stimulé les rebelles. » Malgré quelques combats dans l'Anbar et à Ramadi, les Irakiens sont largement dépassés. Tout juste tiennent-ils quelques quartiers de Ramadi.

Certains espoirs continuent de reposer sur les peshmergas, au Nord, qui alignent quelque 200 000 combattants considérés comme l’une des forces les plus solides en Irak. Là aussi, maigres sont les chances de voir basculer le rapport de force pour le colonel Goya qui remarque chez les combattants kurdes la même limite : une capacité de manœuvre très limitée. Si ponctuellement, l’alliance de l’armée, des peshmergas et des autres milices peut permettre de libérer une ville ou un quartier, la sécurisation de tous les territoires sous influence de l’EIIL demande des moyens dont Bagdad ne dispose pas : renseignement, frappes aériennes, coordination, soutien logistique… « D’un point de vue militaire, la situation n’est pas près de se débloquer, conclut-il. Les Américains avaient, eux, engagé un tiers de leurs capacités terrestres en Irak… et ils ne sont jamais arrivés à sécuriser l’ensemble du territoire. »

http://www.rfi.fr/moyen-orient/20140619-armee-irak-deroute-echec-lacunes-maliki/

Citation :

Iraq helicopter crashes in airborne commando assault on Tikrit


(Reuters) - Iraqi forces launched an airborne assault on rebel-held Tikrit on Thursday with commandos flown into a stadium in helicopters, at least one of which crashed after taking fire from insurgents who have seized northern cities.

Witnesses said battles were raging in the city, hometown of former dictator Saddam Hussein, which fell to Sunni Islamist fighters two weeks ago on the third day of a lightning offensive that has given them control of most majority Sunni regions.

The helicopters were shot at as they flew low over the city and landed in a stadium at the city's university, a security source at the scene said. Government spokesmen did not respond to requests for comment and by evening the assault was still not being reported on state media.

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said fierce clashes ensued, centered around the university compound.

Ahmed al-Jubbour, professor at the university's college of agriculture, described fighting in the colleges of agriculture and sports education after three helicopters arrived.

"I saw one of the helicopters land opposite the university with my own eyes and I saw clashes between dozens of militants and government forces," he said.

Jubbour said one helicopter crash-landed in the stadium. Another left after dropping off troops and a third remained on the ground. Army snipers were positioning themselves on tall buildings in the university complex.

Iraq's million-strong army, trained and equipped by the United States, largely evaporated in the north after Sunni fighters led by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant launched their assault with the capture of the north's biggest city Mosul on June 10.

But in recent days, government forces have been fighting back, relying on elite commandos flown in by helicopter to defend the country's biggest oil refinery at Baiji.

A successful operation to recapture territory inside Tikrit would deliver the most serious blow yet against an insurgency which for most of the past two weeks has seemed all but unstoppable in the Sunni heartland north and west of Baghdad.

MALIKI UNDER PRESSURE

In the capital, the president's office confirmed that a new parliament elected two months ago would meet on Tuesday, the deadline demanded by the constitution, to begin the process of forming a government.

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, whose Shi'ite-led State of Law coalition won the most seats in the April election but needs allies to form a cabinet, is under strong pressure from the United States and other countries to swiftly build a more inclusive government to undermine support for the insurgency.

Maliki confirmed this week that he would support the constitutional deadlines to set up a new government, after pressure from U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who flew to Baghdad for emergency crisis talks to urge him to act.

The 64-year-old Shi'ite Islamist is fighting for his political life in the face of an assault that threatens to dismember his country. Sunni, Kurdish and rival Shi'ite groups have demanded he leave office, and some ruling party members have suggested he could be replaced with a less polarizing figure, although close allies say he has no plan to step aside.

Fighters from ISIL - an al Qaeda offshoot which says all Shi'ites are heretics who should be killed - have been assisted in their advance by other, more moderate Sunni armed groups who share their view that Sunnis have been persecuted under Maliki.

Washington hopes that armed Sunni tribal groups, which turned against al Qaeda during the U.S. "surge" offensive of 2006-2007, can again be persuaded to switch sides and back the government, provided that a new cabinet is more inclusive.

Kerry held talks with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates on Thursday as part of a diplomatic push on Iraq. He was to travel to Saudi Arabia on Friday for talks with King Abdullah on Iraq and Syria.

In Riyadh, King Abdullah ordered measures to protect his nation against "terrorist threats" after heading a security meeting to discuss the fallout from Iraq, the state news agency said.

The United States, which withdrew its ground forces in 2011, has ruled out sending them back but is dispatching up to 300 military advisers, mostly special forces troops, to help organize Baghdad's military response.

The Pentagon said on Thursday that an additional 50 troops had arrived in Baghdad and the first of two Joint Operations Centers had been activated.

The fighters have been halted about an hour's drive north of Baghdad and on its western outskirts, but have pressed on with their advances in areas like religiously mixed Diyala province north of the capital, long one of Iraq's most violent areas.

On Thursday morning, ISIL fighters staged an assault on the town of Mansouriyat al-Jabal, home to inactive gas fields where foreign firms operate, in northeastern Diyala province. An Iraqi oil ministry official denied fighters had taken the field.

A roadside bomb in Baghdad's Shi'ite northern district of Kadhimiya killed eight people on Thursday, police and hospital sources said.

SYRIA STRIKES

The ISIL-led advance has put the United States on the same side as its enemy of 35 years Iran, the Middle East's main Shi'ite power, as well as Iran's ally President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, who is fighting ISIL in his country.

Locals in the Iraqi border town of al-Qaim, captured by ISIL several days ago, say Syrian jets carried out strikes against militants on the Iraqi side of the frontier this week, marking the first time Assad's air force has come to Baghdad's aid.

Publicly, Baghdad, which operates helicopters but no jets, said its own forces carried out the air strike. But a senior Iraqi government official confirmed on condition of anonymity that the strike was mounted by the Syrian air force.

Iran, which armed and trained some of Iraq’s Shi’ite militias, has pledged to intervene in Iraq if necessary to protect Shi’ite holy places. Thousands of Shi'ites have answered Maliki's call to join the armed forces to defend the country.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague arrived in Baghdad on Thursday, reinforcing the international push for Maliki to speed up the political process.

Under the official schedule, parliament will have 30 days from when it first meets on Tuesday to name a president and 15 days after that to name a prime minister.

In the past the process has dragged out, taking nine months to seat the government in 2010. Any delays would allow Maliki to continue to serve as caretaker.

(Additional reporting by Isra' al-Rubei'i in Baghdad, Phil Stewart in Washington, Lesley Wroughton in Paris, Sami Aboudi in Dubai and Sylvia Westall in Beirut; Editing by Peter Graff and Mohammad Zargham)