Iraq requests Apache helos

摘要

Iraq looks set to become the first country to operate both US and Russian attack helicopters after the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) disclosed on 27 January that Baghdad had requested the lease of six Boeing AH-64 Apaches, to be followed by the sale of a further 24. The Iraqi request had previously been held up by US legislators who had concerns about Baghdad's policies towards its Sunni and Kurdish minorities, but these have apparently now been allayed. Two separate DSCA notifications cover the lease of six Apaches for USD 1.3 7 billion in preparation for a USD4.8 billion sale of 24 of the latest-variant AH-64E helicopters. The leasing notification does not specify which variant of Apache Iraq is to receive initially, but given the urgency of the requirement and the fact that deliveries of the AH-64E Apache Guardian to the US Army are in their early stages, they could be earlier models.