The Iraqi Air Force or IQAF (Arabic: Al Quwwa al Jawwiya al Iraqiya القوة الجوية العراقية) is the military branch in Iraq responsible for the policing of international borders, surveillance of national assets and aerial operations. The IQAF also acts as a support force for the Iraqi Navy and the Iraqi Army and it also allows Iraq to rapidly deploy its developing Army.

It was first founded in 1931, when Iraq was under British rule, with a handful of pilots and continued to operate British aircraft until the 14 July Revolution in 1958, where the new Iraqi government began increased diplomatic relationships with the Soviet Union. The air force used both Soviet and British aircraft throughout the 1950s and 1960s. When Saddam Hussien came to power in 1979, the air force grew very quickly after Iraq ordered more Soviet and French aircraft. Its peak came a few years after the long and bloody Iran-Iraq War, in 1988, when it consisted of over 950 aircraft, becoming one of the largest air forces in the region. Its downfall came after the Gulf War and when the coaltion forces enforced no-fly zones. Iraq's air force eventually collapsed after he was forced out from power after the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Currently, the IQAF is rebuilding and receiving most of its funding and aircraft from the United States.

History

The Royal Iraqi Air Force (RIrAF) was founded on April 22, 1931 under British guardianship. Before the creation of the new air force, the RAF Iraq Command was in charge of all British forces in Iraq in the 1920s and early 1930s. The RIrAF was based at the airport in the Washash neighborhood of Baghdad, and consisted of five pilots (aeronautics students from the RAF college at RAF Cranwell, and 32 aircraft mechanics. The original five pilots were Natiq Mohammed Khalil al-Tay, Mohammed Ali Jawad, Hafdhi Aziz, Akrem Talib Mushtaq, and Musa Ali. During the early years of the Royal Iraqi Air Force, they mainly received aircraft from the United Kingdom.

1940s

The RIrAF was not used in a combat role until being decimated in the 1941 Anglo-Iraqi War, and then in 1948 in their war against the newly-created state of Israel. During the Anglo-Iraqi War, the RIrAF under Rashid Ali received aid from the Luftwaffe to fight the British. When the First Arab-Israeli War erupted, the RIrAF was still recovering from its destruction by the British . Even though the RIrAF was still contained a modern aircraft inventory, the RIrAF played a small role in the first war against Israel. In 1948 to 1949 the RIrAF dispatched Avro Anson training-bombers to Jordan, from where these flew a number of attacks against the Israelis . Part of the Ansons were replaced by the more modern fighter the Hawker Fury. These aircraft flew only two missions against Israel in Iraqi markings before most of the available examples were given to the Egyptians. All together 14 Hawker Furies were delivered but only 6 were operational by the 7 of June, 1948. Despite all these early problems the RIrAF was to continue purchasing Furies, and acquired a total of 38 F.Mk.1s, and 4 two-seaters. The only claimed aircraft kill of the Fury belonging to the RIrAF was an Israeli Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber. The IQAF also received the first 3 de Havilland Dove VIP-transports which entered in 1951.

1950s and early 1960s

During the 1950s, the RIrAF went through a series of important developments where their monarchy government was toppled in 1958 resulting in the change of arms imports from countries. From 1950 to 19 most of the RIrAF aircraft were from the United Kingdom. The first jet fighters, the de Havilland Vampire of the RIrAF were delivered in 1953. The RIrAF also received de Havilland Venoms and Hawker Hunters during the mid-1950s. In 1954 and 1956, a total of 19 de Havilland Vampire jet fighters were delivered, and with the help of U.S. funding, 14 ex-RAF Hawkers were delivered. They also received 4 obsolete Bristol 170 Freighters in 1953.

After the 14 July Revolution in 1958, when the King of Iraq was overthrown, the country increased diplomatic and political relationships with the Soviet Union, while simultaneously severed relations with western nations. The Iraqi Air Force (IQAF) dropped "Royal" from its name after the revolution. The Soviets were swift to start supplying MiG-17s, and later MiG-19 and MiG-21 fighters, as well as Ilyushin Il-28 bombers to the new Iraqi government. They also received 13 Ilyushin Il-14 transports in 1957. The first MiG-17s were first delivered in 1958 to replace the de Havilland Vampires. It is possible that during the late 1960s and or early 1970s for a few additional MiG-17 examples were purchased and then forwarded to either Syria or Egypt. The IQAF received about 50 MiG-19s during the early 1960s but some of these aircraft were given to Egypt. In 1966, Assyrian Iraqi Captain Munir Redfa flew his MiG-21F-13 to Israel. Two years later, Israel gave his MiG-21F-13 to the United States for evaluation under the code-name "Have Donut".

Another coup in 1962 brought Iraq closer to the United Kingdom, and as a result, more Hawker Hunters were ordered by the IQAF. For several years aircraft imports from the Soviet Union ceased--until 1966, where a batch of MiG-21PF interceptors was purchased.

Six-Day War

During the Six-Day War in June 1967, the Iraqi Air Force had many planes destroyed by an Israeli strike on one of its bases on the first day of the war. The Iraqi Air Force regrouped and struck back, however, as it bombed several air bases and land targets on the fifth day, and it also played a significant role in supporting Jordanian troops. As well, the Iraqi Air Force assembled a special task force of foreign pilots to take the vanguard, and on June 6, Iraqi Hawker Hunters some piloted by East German, Polish, Libyan and Pakistani pilots destroyed two Israeli planes in air combat. Due to these mercenaries, the IQAF were successfully able to defend their air bases in western Iraq from additional Israeli attacks. On the same day the IQAF also were able to break through Israeli air spaces and destroyed two Israeli aircraft in air fighting.

1970s and the Yom Kippur War

Throughout this decade, the IQAF grew in size and capability, as new treaties with the Soviet Union were to bring large numbers of relatively modern fighter aircraft to the air force. The Iraqi government was never satisfied with the Soviets supplying them and while they were purchasing modern fighters like the MiG-21 and the Sukhoi Su-7, they began persuading the French to sell Mirage F-1s fighters and later Jaguars.

Before the Yom Kippur War, the IQAF sent 12 Hawker Hunters to Egypt where they stayed to fight; only 1 survived the war. The IQAF first received their Sukhoi Su-7s in 1968; they were originally stationed in Syria. Aircraft deployed to Syria suffered heavy losses due to Israeli aircraft and SAMs. In addition, they were hit with friendly fire from Syrian SAMs. A planned attack on the 8th of October was canceled due to these heavy losses as well as disagreements with the Syrian government. Eventually, all aircraft besides several Sukhoi Su-7s were withdrawn from bases in Syria. During the war in October 1973, the first air strike against Israeli bases in Sinai was composed of Iraqi planes; they hit artillery sites and Israeli tanks, and they also claimed to have destroyed 12 Israeli fighters in air combat. Shortly after the war, the IQAF ordered 14 Tu-22Bs and two Tu-22Us from the USSR as well as Raduga Kh-22 missiles. By 1979, 10 Tu-22Bs and 2 Tu-22Us were delivered.

The 1970s also saw a series of fierce Kurdish uprisings in the north of the country against Iraq. With the help of the Shah of Iran, the Kurds received arms and supplies including modern SAMs as well as some Iranian soldiers. The IQAF suffered heavy casualties fighting the Kurds, so they began using their new Tu-22s in combat against them, as they were able to avoid a greater percentage of SAMs due to their greater mobility. During the mid-1970s, tensions with Iran were high but was later resolved with the Algiers Treaty.

1980s and War with Iran

Between 1980 and the summer of 1990, the number of combat aircraft in the IQAF went from 332 to over 950. Before the Iraqi invasion of Iran, the IQAF had expected 16 modern Dassault Mirage F.1EQs from France and were also in the middle of receiving a total of 240 new aircraft and helicopters from the Soviet Union. When Iraq invaded Iran in late September 1980, the Soviets and the French stopped delivery of additional aircraft to Iraq but resumed deliveries a few months later.

The IQAF had to instead fight with obsolete MiG-21 Fishbeds and MiG-23 Floggers. The MiG-21 was the main interceptor of the force while their MiG-23s were used for ground attack. These aircraft were still no match for the Iranian F-4 Phantoms and F-14 Tomcats, however. On the first day of the war, a formation of MiG-23s and MiG-21s raided airports and airfields of the Iranian Air Force, but the Iranian aircraft were not heavily damaged because of strong concrete hangers that housed the planes. In retaliation for these aerial attacks, the Iranian Air Force launched Operation Kaman 99 a day after the war was launched, where 58 F-4s, 88 F-5s and 60 F-14s attacked airbases of the Iraqi Air Force. Most of the Iraqi aircraft escaped damage and destruction by moving them to other Arab countries.

During late 1981, it was soon clear that the modern Mirage F-1s and the Soviet MiG-25s were effective against the Iranians, though they suffered considerable losses to Iranian interceptors. Some of these aircraft were reportedly even when flown by foreign mercenaries and "advisors". The IQAF began to use their new Soviet weaponry which included Tu-22KD/KDP bombers, equipped with Kh-22M/MP air-to-ground missiles, MiG-25s equipped with Kh-25 air-to-ground missiles as well as Kh-25 and Kh-58 anti-radar missiles and even MiG-27s, equipped with Kh-29L/T missiles. In 1983, to satisfy the Iraqis waiting for their F-1s, Super Etendards were leased to Iraq. It is suggested that 2 or 3 of the aircraft were downed by Iranian interceptors.

The IQAF generally played a minor role in the war against Iran, though it had attempted to bomb airfields in Tehran and other Iranian cities. The air force had a more successful role attacking tankers and other vessels using Exocet missiles on their French built Mirage F-1s. On May 17, 1987, a Iraqi F-1 mistakenly launched two Exocet anti-ship missiles into the American frigate USS Stark crippling the vessel and killing 37 sailors.

By 1987, the air force consisted of 40,000 men, of whom about 10,000 were apart of the Air Defense Command. Its main base was in Baghdad and other major bases in Basra. The IQAF operated from 24 main operating bases and 30 dispersal bases, with nuclear-hardened shelters and extensive runways. At the end of the war, the IQAF played a significant role in halting Iran's last military offensive, resulting in Iraq's relative success in this bloody and prolonged conflict.

1990s- Gulf War and no-fly zones

In August 1990, Iraq had one of the largest air forces in the region even after the long Iran–Iraq War. The air force at that time contained more than 500 aircraft in their inventory. Theoretically, the IQAF should have been 'hardened' by the conflict with Iran, but post-war purges decimated the air force, as the Iraqi regime struggled to bring it back under total control. Training was brought to the minimum during the whole of 1990.

During the 1991 Gulf War, the Iraqi Air Force was devastated by the United States, the United Kingdom and their allies. Most airfields were heavily struck, and in air combat Iraq was only able to obtain one kill, while sustaining many losses. Five out of the six Tupolev Tu-22s that Iraq possessed were destroyed by bombing at the start of Operation Desert Storm.

The MiG-25 force (NATO codename 'Foxbat') recorded the only Iraqi air-to-air kill during the war. A Mig-25PD shot down an American F/A-18 on the first night of the war. In another incident, an Iraqi Foxbat-E eluded eight American F-15s, firing three missiles at an EF-111 electronic warfare aircraft, forcing them to abort their mission. In yet another incident, two MiG-25's approached a pair of F-15 Eagles, fired missiles (which were evaded by the F-15s), and then out-ran the American fighters. Two more F-15s joined the pursuit, and a total of ten air-to-air missiles were fired at the Foxbats; none of which could reach them.

During the Persian Gulf War, many Iraqi pilots and aircraft (of Chinese, French & Soviet origin) escaped to Iran to escape the bombing campaign. The Iranians impounded these aircraft after the war and never returned them, putting them in the service of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force -- claiming them as reparations for the Iran–Iraq War.

These included: Mirage F1s, Su-17, Su-20 amd Su-22M Fitters, Su-24MK Fencer-Ds, Su-25K/UBK Frogfoots, MiG-21 Fishbeds, MiG-23 Floggers, MiG-25 Foxbats, MiG-29A/UB Fulcrums and a number of Il-76s, including the one-off AEW-AWACS prototype Il-76 "ADNAN 1"

Also, prior to Operation Desert Storm, ten Iraqi MiG-23 fighter aircraft had been sent to Yugoslavia to get overhauled, but the MiG's were never returned due to the war that started in Yugoslavia.

Gulf War aircraft losses

Aircraft	Origin	No. Shot Down	No. To Iran
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21	Soviet Union	4	0
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23	Soviet Union	8	12
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25	Soviet Union	2	7
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29	Soviet Union	5	4
Dassault Mirage F-1	France	9	24
Sukhoi Su-7/17	Soviet Union	4	0
Sukhoi Su-20	Soviet Union	0	4
Sukhoi Su-22	Soviet Union	2	40
Sukhoi Su-24	Soviet Union	0	24
Sukhoi Su-25	Soviet Union	2	7
Ilyushin Il-76	Soviet Union	0	15
Mil Mi-8	Soviet Union	1	0
Observation helicopter		1	0
U/I helicopter		1	0
Total Number Loss		42	137