Aircraft
Iraq Requests Second Batch of 18 F-16s As U.S. Troops Withdraw
The Iraqi government has requested a second batch of 18 F-16IQs. The contract would extend production of the evergreen fighter into 2014. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)
The Iraqi government has requested a second batch of 18 F-16IQs. The contract would extend production of the evergreen fighter into 2014. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)

The government of Iraq has requested a second batch of 18 Lockheed Martin F-16IQs to help rebuild its air force as the final U.S. troops withdraw from the country after nearly nine years of occupation. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress of the possible foreign military sale on December 12, a day that saw President Barack Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki appear together in Washington, D.C., to mark the imminent end of the Iraq conflict.