Post by andypspotter on Apr 23, 2018 20:31:55 GMT
Iraq's An-32 Cargo Planes Turned Bombers Flew Nearly Twice As Many Strikes As its F-16s
New data shows the impromptu bombers were heavily involved in fighting ISIS, but Iraq now has far better platforms for airstrikes.
Following a recent strike its F-16IQ Viper multi-role jets flew against ISIS terrorists in neighboring Syria, the Iraqi Air Force has released a detailed infographic showing how many combat and combat support missions each of its aircraft types have flown over the past nearly four years. Of particular note is that the country’s An-32 cargo planes have conducted more airstrikes than either Iraq’s F-16s or its Aero L-159 Advanced Light Combat Aircraft, or ALCA, light attack jets.
The Iraqi Air Force released the infographic, with its text unfortunately only in Arabic, on its official social media accounts on April 23, 2018. But the statistics, which cover the period from June 10, 2014 to December 31, 2017, clearly show that the An-32s flew 990 strike missions during that time, almost twice that of the Iraqi F-16 fleet’s 514 sorties and nearly a sixth of the total missions that the aircraft conducted altogether. Neither figure is close to the more than 3,500 strikes that the country’s Su-25 Frogfoot ground attack aircraft flew in that same period.
It’s also worth noting that the F-16IQs only began flying combat missions in 2015 and it’s unclear how long the Iraqis have employed their An-32s in the bomber role, if they’re still operating the aircraft in this way, and how many of the six total aircraft had or still have the ability to carry out strikes. Official Iraqi Air Force social media accounts have posted pictures of what appear to be An-32s with side-mounted bomb racks as recently as earlier this month, but we don't know if those images are necessarily new or not.
New data shows the impromptu bombers were heavily involved in fighting ISIS, but Iraq now has far better platforms for airstrikes.
Following a recent strike its F-16IQ Viper multi-role jets flew against ISIS terrorists in neighboring Syria, the Iraqi Air Force has released a detailed infographic showing how many combat and combat support missions each of its aircraft types have flown over the past nearly four years. Of particular note is that the country’s An-32 cargo planes have conducted more airstrikes than either Iraq’s F-16s or its Aero L-159 Advanced Light Combat Aircraft, or ALCA, light attack jets.
The Iraqi Air Force released the infographic, with its text unfortunately only in Arabic, on its official social media accounts on April 23, 2018. But the statistics, which cover the period from June 10, 2014 to December 31, 2017, clearly show that the An-32s flew 990 strike missions during that time, almost twice that of the Iraqi F-16 fleet’s 514 sorties and nearly a sixth of the total missions that the aircraft conducted altogether. Neither figure is close to the more than 3,500 strikes that the country’s Su-25 Frogfoot ground attack aircraft flew in that same period.
It’s also worth noting that the F-16IQs only began flying combat missions in 2015 and it’s unclear how long the Iraqis have employed their An-32s in the bomber role, if they’re still operating the aircraft in this way, and how many of the six total aircraft had or still have the ability to carry out strikes. Official Iraqi Air Force social media accounts have posted pictures of what appear to be An-32s with side-mounted bomb racks as recently as earlier this month, but we don't know if those images are necessarily new or not.