Iraq Czechs out second-hand trainers

As Iraq continues along the long road towards rebuilding some military capabilities, including a fully independent and capable air force, the acquisition of an advanced jet trainer aircraft is being accorded a high priority.

It seems, though, that the nation’s interest has now switched from the BAE Hawk, KAI T-50 Golden Eagle and Aermacchi M-346 to second-hand Czech Aero L-159As.

The new Iraqi Air Force currently operates a number of mainly second-line types, including Cessna 172, UTVA Lasta and Hawker Beechcraft T-6 trainers, C-130E Hercules transports, Aerospatiale SA342 Gazelle, Bell OH-58, UH-1N and Mil Mi-17 helicopters, and a mixed bag of Cessna Combat Caravans, Beech 350ER-ISRs, and Jordanian-built SAMA CH2000s and Seabird SBL-360 Seekers operating in the ISR and armed reconnaissance roles.

Armed Bell 407 and Eurocopter EC635 helicopters have been ordered and the country has ordered 18 Lockheed Martin F-16IQ Fighting Falcons (Block 50/52) to form the nucleus of its future fast jet force, with some reports of Iraqi interest in another 18 F-16s.

Eventually, Iraq wants to acquire about 96 fighters, sufficient to equip six squadrons, as part of its drive to establish a self-sufficient and full-spectrum air force with 350 aircraft and some 20,000 personnel by 2020.

Building such an air force will take years and will require a whole new generation of pilots to be trained. The acquisition of the T-6A Texans and UTVA Lasta 95s has allowed the opening of a fixed-wing flying training school near Kirkuk, but an advanced, lead-in jet trainer is still missing.

At one time it seemed most likely that the Iraqi Government would buy 24 Hawk trainer jets and support in what was touted as being a £1 billion deal, though the T-50 and M-346 were also under consideration. Iraqi Air Force pilots visited Britain in May and June 2010 to evaluate the Hawk, which had previously been selected by the Iraqi air force in the late 1980s. At that time, a contract to sell 50 Hawks was blocked by the British Government in the face of concerns that the deal would contravene arms embargoes put in place during the Iran-Iraq war.

But prospects of a Hawk buy receded during 2011, as Iraq started to look at cheaper and more affordable options. Following a visit to Iraq by the Czech prime minister in late May, attention switched to a package of 24 Aero L-159As – part of a batch of 38 aircraft withdrawn from use and stored in 2004 (and subsequently increased to a pool of 47 aircraft, of the 72 production aircraft built).

On 12 August, Ladislav Simek, the head of Aero Vodochody, revealed that Iraq was negotiating for a larger batch of 36 aircraft, which would be exchanged for crude oil.

The L-159A is an advanced, single-seat light multi-role derivative of the older L-39 Albatros, powered by a 6,330lbst Honeywell F124-GA-100 turbofan. The Czech air force uses it in the lead-in fighter-training role, under the designation L-159ALCA. The original two-seat L-39’s rear cockpit is retained in the L-159 but accommodates a fuel tank in the L-159A, making conversion to two-seat trainer configuration relatively straightforward, and a production two-seat variant, the L-159B, was flown in prototype form.

A number of L-159As have already been converted to L-159T1 standards for the Czech air force and, if Iraq acquires the aircraft, it is expected that some or all will be similarly converted.

The L-159 is an advanced and capable aircraft, with comprehensive air-to-air and air-to-ground combat capabilities. The L-159A is fitted with the multi-mode FIAR Grifo-L pulse Doppler radar, selected in preference to the US Westinghouse AN/APG-68. The Grifo-L has nine air-to-surface modes and five air-to-air modes, including track-while-scan, and can simultaneously track up to eight targets.

The modern NVG-compatible glass cockpit provides the pilot with full hands on throttle and stick (HOTAS) functionality and is designed around two multi-function colour displays and a flight vision FV-3000 head-up display, using analogue instruments only for back-up.

The digital integrated avionics system is based upon MIL-STD-1553B databuses, and incorporates a Honeywell GPS navigation system, with Ring Laser Gyro INS, as well as NATO-compatible secure radios.

The L-159 is capable of carrying a wide range of NATO-compatible weapons on six under-wing and one centreline hardpoints.