Its Russian Military Helicopters
Iraq’s military is reportedly facing significant difficulties sustaining its fleet of Russian-made military helicopters as an indirect result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The latest quarterly report by the U.S. Defense Department’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) on Operation Inherent Resolve against ISIS notes that Russian supply chain issues caused by the Ukraine war, and sanctions against Moscow for perpetrating it, has affected Iraq’s ability to sustain its Russian-built aircraft.
The OIG report revealed that the Iraqi Army Aviation Command (IqAAC) Mi-17 Hip military transport helicopters, in particular, are being negatively affected. Aside from forming the backbone of the IqAAC’s helicopter fleet, which also includes Mi-28NE and Mi-35M attack helicopters, these Mi-17s are essential for supporting ground forces and carrying out medevacs.