Joint Operations of Al Furat News: The departure of the American company from the Balad base greatly affected the maintenance and equipping of the F-16
Joint Operations of Al Furat News: The departure of the American company from the Balad base greatly affected the maintenance and equipping of the F-16
05/20/2021 11:18:21
The Joint Operations Command confirmed that the supply and maintenance of Iraqi F-16 fighter aircraft were affected, after the maintenance crews of the American manufacturer {Lockheed Martin} had left the Balad Air Base, south of Salah al-Din Governorate.
The spokesman for the joint operations, Major General Tahsin Al-Khafaji, told {Al-Furat News} that “the preparation and maintenance of the aircraft has been greatly affected after the departure of the parent company that manufactures them from Balad Air Base, as it is responsible for training engineers and technicians. It was scheduled to receive the special maintenance and maintenance file at the end of this year. With the F-16 planes to the Iraqis, what remains for the company to consult is only. ”
He added, “It is possible to achieve the consultancy through the television department, but the withdrawal of the company will delay the maintenance file and the training of Iraqi technicians.”
Al-Khafaji pointed out, “The American company is civilian and has no relationship in the military field, and they are technical civilians who manage the rehabilitation and maintenance of aircraft,” stressing that “contacts are underway to find out the latest developments, especially that Iraq has contracted with them to come up with a formula satisfactory to both parties.”
He stressed that “relying on television experience is not sufficient, and there must be practical training and replacement of important parts of the plane that need the expertise of the parent company.”
On May 11th, the American “Lockheed Martin” company withdrew from Iraq from Balad Air Base, threatening the entire Iraqi combat aircraft maintenance program.
The company left the military base in southern Salah al-Din Governorate after “several missile attacks that the authorities seem unable to stop,” as she put it.
“The company’s technicians are conducting the necessary maintenance operations on Iraqi combat aircraft, and without these operations, combat sorties will not be possible,” Iraqi military personnel
said in a statement . The aircraft manufacturer said in a statement that it “is transferring the F-16 team that is based in Iraq.” Due to “considerations related to employee safety.”
The decision comes after the Balad air base, which hosts the planes and the company’s technicians, was repeatedly bombed by missiles, the most recent of which was the bombing on May 3.
AFP quoted an Iraqi official, describing it as a high-ranking one, as saying that “the crews The company has already left Monday morning, and the team includes 72 specialized technicians from Lockheed Martin, “while another military source also confirmed the team’s departure from the base.
The US Department of Defense (the Pentagon) said,”The US government is coordinating closely with the company to ensure continued support for the Iraqi F-16 program. ”
Currently, the company is conducting deep maintenance operations on aircraft, with the help of Iraqi technicians who are performing less comprehensive and in-depth maintenance phases.
Fadel Abu Ragheef, a security expert, said that the company’s withdrawal would turn the American-made Iraqi F-16 fighters into a “useless pile of iron.”
Abu Ragheef added in a press statement, “There are no longer any American or foreign combat forces in Iraq, except for maintenance companies,” noting that “the existence of such companies is for the purpose of maintenance and maintenance only, and it is a very necessary presence because it sustains {F-16} aircraft.” That Iraq bought from the United States of America, and only this company can perpetuate it, and therefore; its presence means the presence of the Iraqi air force. ”
He explained, “The withdrawal of the employees of this company will cause very serious damage, because with this withdrawal, these aircraft will turn into a mere pile of iron that is useless and useless.”
alforatnews.com
