Iraq Acquires Frogfoots to Fight Rebels

摘要

During late June and early July the Iraqi Air Force (IqAF) took delivery of Su-25 Frogfoots in a bid to push back al dawla al islamiyye f'il iraq w'al sham (ISIS - Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) militants and Sunni-backed militia who have taken over large parts of the country. Five ex-Russian Air Force Su-25s arrived on June 28. One of the Frogfoots was seen being unloaded from a Russian Air Force Antonov An-124-100 Ruslan (registered RA-82039) at New Al Muthanna Air Base, Baghdad. Seven more Su-25s/Su-25UBKs arrived from Iran on July 1. They flew into the country under their own power - coming from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Air Force - and are believed to be the entire complement of airworthy examples currently operated by the IRGCAF. Ironically, some of them are former IqAF Su-25s which fled to 'safety' in Iran in 1991 during the first Gulf War, only to be commandeered and put into IRGCAF service.