High-level Iraqi presence at the Washington arms exhibition to develop and equip the army’s capabilities
High-level Iraqi presence at the Washington arms exhibition to develop and equip the army’s capabilities
2026-10-16
Shafaq News – Washington / Baghdad
The Commander of the Ground Forces, Lieutenant General Qasim Muhammad Saleh Al-Muhammadi, attended the American Defense Weapons Exhibition in Washington on Friday.
The Iraqi Ministry of Defense stated in a statement that Lieutenant General Al-Muhammadi met on the sidelines of his attendance at the exhibition with a group of leaders of the ground forces of the world’s countries, where he was briefed on the latest technologies, equipment and modern weapons in light of the weapons used in modern battles.
The statement explained that this visit comes for the purpose of developing the capabilities of the Iraqi army, and providing it with everything that is modern to keep pace with global developments in terms of armament and equipment.
The issue of arming the armed forces has been of paramount importance to successive Iraqi governments since 2003, and its importance increased significantly after ISIS took control of about a third of the country in mid-2014.
Despite the United States equipping the Iraqi armed forces with modern weapons and equipment, including F-16 fighter jets, the reliance on American personnel for maintenance and ammunition supply is drawing continuous criticism from political parties in Baghdad, who believe that these requirements limit the operational independence of these weapons, which are purchased with federal funds.
In contrast, the armament file faces ongoing reservations from the Kurdistan Regional Government, as Kurdish officials assert that the Peshmerga forces are not included in the armament and equipment programs of the Federal Ministry of Defense, despite being part of the national defense system according to the Iraqi constitution.
shafaq.com
