Operation Lionclaw: Building Jraqi Route Clearance Capability Through Active Partnership

摘要

Operation Lionclaw has been successful in building Iraqi Army capability, enabling combined operations and building the relationship between the Iraqi and the U.S. Armies. However, the Iraqi platoons cannot conduct independent operations until they are properly equipped. The ultimate goal for equipping would be one RG-31 MK III with the ferret arm, one with the SPARK, and one Iraqi DZIK or Ml 114 as a security vehicle (see Figure 4). The current challenge is that the RG-31 MK IIIs are still U.S. Army property and cannot be transferred to the Iraqi Army for independent use. Until the equipment can be transferred, or the Iraqi Ministry of Defense buys more sets of route clearance equipment, route clearance at the Iraqi Army battalion and brigade levels will be limited to combined patrols with U.S. platoons.