BAGHDAD - The Iraq Army Aviation Command accepted delivery of four new Mi-171E helicopters at its headquarters in Taji, as two were delivered Jan. 16 followed two more Jan. 23.
This latest delivery brings Iraq Army Aviation Command’s total inventory of Mi-171E helicopters to 14, as part of a foreign-military-sales purchase made by the Iraqi Ministry of Defense. The delivery was part of an ongoing deal coordinated with the help of U.S. Forces-Iraq’s Iraq Security Assistance Mission.
During Operation New Dawn, U.S. forces will continue to advise, train, assist and equip the Iraqi security forces, conduct partnered counterterrorism operations, and support and protect civilian and military efforts focused on developing Iraqi civil and institutional capacity.
These Russian-made aircraft will be used to conduct a variety of missions including counterterrorism, airlift and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
Iraq’s fleet of multipurpose helicopters now includes 30 Mi-17, which includes a number of aircraft that were already in the Iraqi inventory, and 14 Mi-171E helicopters.