[RUDAW.NET] A Kurdish politician in the Iraqi Parliament in Baghdad has claimed in comments to Rudaw that the Iraqi air force cannot legally use its newly acquired F-16 fighter jets in combat missions without the participation of Kurdish pilots.Previous reporting by Rudaw has indicated only five Kurdish pilots have been trained by the US to operate the 36 F-16s purchased by the Iraqi government. Only four of those F-16s have so far been delivered to Iraq. One of those four jets has been assigned to a Kurdish pilot, Muhammad Anwar of Erbil.
“According to the signed agreements between the Iraqi government and the United States, the F-16 jets will not be used in combat without the participation of the Kurdish pilots. There are conditions in the agreement that the Iraqi government must fulfill,” MP Shakho Abdullah told Rudaw Tuesday.
“Four F-16s were delivered to Iraq this month. The agreement with the US obliges the Iraqi government not to operate these jets in combat missions in Iraqi cities, public places such as governorates, districts and towns,” he added. “The US has delivered the F-16 jets with the necessary ordnance. The jets are ready to use but they will not be used against ISIS for the time being.”