When Argentina abandoned the Thunder 3 in favor of second-hand F-16 fighters, Pakistan reached an agreement with the Iraqi side, and Iraq formally signed an agreement to purchase 12 Thunder fighters and 12 MFI-17 "Supporter" trainer aircraft.
According to outside analysis, the most hardcore ally of the United States in the past has completely "turned to" China and formed a Chinese armament army, intending to completely eliminate the American-made F-16 fighters originally equipped by the Iraqi Air Force.
Iraq was fooled in the purchase of US fighter planes and was eager to get rid of these "crappy goods"
Since the end of the Iraq war in 2003, Iraq has had to rely on US arrangements to build a modern air force.
F-16IQ fighter
As a result, Iraq invested heavily in the purchase of 34 F-16IQ fighter jets from the United States in 2008, at a cost of more than $6.7 billion (purchase costs + U.S. loans).
The F-16IQ is a special Iraqi version of the fighter based on the F-16C/D Block 52 fighter, and its theoretical performance is one of the best fourth-generation and a half fighters in neighboring countries.
F-16IQ fighter
However, the problem is that the United States has completely castrated the performance of the F-16IQ fighters exported by the Iraqi Air Force, and cannot launch AIM-9X close-range combat missiles and AIM-120 medium-range bombs, and can only be equipped with AIM-7Sparrow and AIM-9L/M old missiles.
In fact, over-the-horizon air combat capability is an indispensable hard indicator for fighters, air supremacy is a crucial factor in modern warfare, and the side with air supremacy can effectively control the battlefield and provide protection for ground and sea forces. Over-the-horizon air combat capabilities enable fighters to suppress enemy air power at long distances and ensure their own air supremacy.
If there is no over-the-horizon air combat capability, fighters will be at a disadvantage in air supremacy operations, and it will be difficult for them to effectively suppress and strike at the enemy's air power, thus affecting the struggle for air supremacy on the entire battlefield.
F-16IQ fighter
Therefore, the advanced fighters that Iraq has spent billions of dollars to buy can only launch/throw old ammunition in the end, and it is better to purchase Chinese and Russian fighters, and the United States can only destroy its own signboard in order to fool Iraq into exporting such semi-waste fighters.
In recent years, due to the deterioration of US-Iran relations, it has been difficult for the Iraqi Air Force to obtain spare parts and maintenance support from the US side in a timely manner, and the F-16IQ is aging day by day, requiring a lot of maintenance to maintain normal operation.
F-16IQ fighter
Iraqi media said that these fighters, which have been delivered for more than 10 years, are currently in a difficult situation with maintenance difficulties and a very low accuracy rate. Back three years ago, half of the aircraft in its F-16IQ fighter unit had only basic combat capabilities. Other aircraft lacked operational radar and avionics, and were simply unable to conduct air operations, and later deteriorated to the point that some aircraft could not take off normally.
In particular, after the U.S. assassination of Soleimani led to a significant deterioration in U.S.-Iranian relations, Iraqi militias began to retaliate against Americans in their territory.
F-16IQ fighter
Therefore, starting in 2021, Loma has withdrawn all the maintenance and logistics personnel stationed in the Iraqi Air Force, and these people are the professional and technical personnel responsible for the maintenance and maintenance of F-16IQ fighters.
Iraq's industrial base is already very weak, and the aviation industry is completely zero, and since the Saddam era, a large number of Soviet-made fighters have been introduced, and then the current government has introduced American-made fighters, and the fighters purchased by Iraq itself are simply impossible to maintain and maintain.
F-16IQ fighter
In particular, Iraq has no ability to produce the parts and components needed for the F-16IQ fighters, so it relies entirely on purchasing them from the United States, and there are no professional personnel at present, and once the American technicians leave, the current batch of F-16IQ fighters will not receive any long-term maintenance in the future, and it will be a matter of time before they all lie on their stomachs.
Therefore, Iraq has actually long considered buying advanced fighter jets from other countries to replace these F-16IQs, and the first thing it has looked at is the Russian fighter jets, but considering the threat from the United States and the sanctions against Russia, this plan has to be abandoned.
Thunder Block3
The new batch of Thunder fighters has strong performance, and the Iraqi Air Force looks at it differently
Pakistan, on the other hand, vigorously promoted the Thunder fighter jointly developed by China and Pakistan, which aroused considerable interest from the Iraqi Air Force. The Chinese side has upgraded the Thunder to the Block 3 version, which is a fully upgraded version.
In the past, the positioning of the Thunder Dragon fighter was actually equivalent to a cheap fourth-generation light foreign trade aircraft, with moderate performance and cheap price, but with the launch of the Block 3 version, the positioning of the Thunder Dragon fighter has changed greatly.
Thunder Block3
According to a previous analysis article by the US media "Military Watch", the Thunder Dragon Block3 fighter has been comprehensively upgraded compared with the previous model, and has been replaced with a new active phased array radar, avionics, fire control system, head sight and weapon system for China's foreign trade.
Therefore, the combat power of the Thunder Dragon Block3 is a comprehensive upgrade compared with the previous generation of Block2, and the over-the-horizon air combat capability of the Thunder Block3 has surpassed that of the F-16C/D fighter, because the Thunder has a more advanced active phased array radar and PL-15 long-range air-to-air missile, and its over-the-horizon air combat capability has become the world's strongest export fourth-generation semi-light fighter.
Thunder Block3
Paired with Block's new digital cockpit and helmet-mounted targeting system, coupled with the state-of-the-art PL-10E close-range combat projectile, its close-range combat capabilities are not to be underestimated.
In terms of multi-purpose, China has tailored a series of export weapons for the Thunder Block, and even anti-ship ballistic missiles specially for export, which has greatly enhanced the multi-purpose combat capability of the Thunder fighter.
Thunder Block3
In addition to the obvious lack of maneuverability compared with F-16, Rafale and other fighters, in terms of electronic hardware and over-the-horizon air combat capabilities, the Thunder Dragon Block fighter undoubtedly has obvious advantages.
Of course, in terms of price, after all, the Thunder Dragon Block3 fighter uses a lot of high and new technology, and the cost is naturally higher than that of the early model fighter, according to Argentine media reports, the unit price of a Thunder Dragon Block3 fighter is basically at the standard of 55 million to 65 million US dollars, but compared with the F-16 fighter that often exceeds 100 million US dollars, it is much cheaper.
Thunder 3
The outside world believes that Iraq's introduction of the Thunder Dragon will mean that the Iraqi Air Force's fighters will change from the former Soviet and American systems to the current Chinese ones, and the Iraqi Air Force will become a "Chinese armed force."
The J-20 and Thunder Block 3 both use advanced DSI air intakes
Compared with the half-dead F-16IQ of the Iraqi Air Force, the new Thunder Dragon Block3 fighter will greatly upgrade the combat power of the Iraqi Air Force. The combat power is fully crushing the F-16IQ, and if it is really a real battle, a Thunder Dragon Block3 fighter mounted on the full air combat can fight against the F-16IQ with one dozen four.
After the Iraqi Air Force is equipped with the Thunder Dragon Block 3, its air superiority capability can be said to have been "explosive" improved. In terms of price, Iraq spent more than $100 million to order an F-16IQ, and the Thunder Block 3 has better performance and is cheaper.
Adopt RMB settlement to create a "Chinese armed army"?
Thunder Block3
The total value of this contract is more than 13 billion yuan, about 1.8 billion US dollars, in addition to the order of 12 Thunder Dragon Block 3 fighters, Iraq also ordered 12 "super supporter" trainer aircraft from Pakistan, plus the maintenance logistics services of fighters and the procurement of weapons and equipment.
Iraq's introduction of Chinese fighters this time is also regarded by the US media as another expansion of China's influence in the Middle East, and the former "hardcore allies" of the United States no longer trust the United States, and the purchase of Chinese weapons and the abandonment of American-made weapons shows to a certain extent Iraq's political tendencies.
RMB settlement is good for China
Since last year, Iraq has used the renminbi for the first time to settle imports (trade) from China, and Iraq's imports (trade) from China have been settled only in US dollars, which is the latest sign that the renminbi is playing an increasingly important role in the international arena.
In fact, in recent years, some countries in the world have invariably begun to avoid using the US dollar for settlement, and use the renminbi, the answer is very simple.
As the world's main reserve currency and international settlement currency, the US dollar has long dominated the international financial system. However, this dominant position is the hegemony of the dollar, and the United States can impose financial sanctions on other countries by controlling the liquidity of the dollar and the international financial system, as well as the way the United States inflation harvests the world by printing money wildly, which has already made many countries very dissatisfied.
Many countries want to reduce their dependence on the U.S. dollar by diversifying their foreign exchange reserves and settlement currencies, thereby reducing their exposure to U.S. economic and policy impacts.
China is currently the world's second largest economy, and its influence on the world economy cannot be ignored, and China is now the world's largest trading country. As China's trade relations with other countries deepen, it makes sense to use the renminbi for settlement.
China is also actively promoting the internationalization of the renminbi, promoting the use of the renminbi in international trade and financial markets through a series of policies and measures, and enhancing the international status of the renminbi. With the rise of China's economy and the advancement of the internationalization of the RMB, the status of the RMB in international settlements and reserves will be further enhanced.
All in all, this export to Iraq shows that China has won another customer in the export of advanced fighters, and the influence of China's foreign trade weapons is increasing by a large margin, which actually highlights the technological progress of China's weapons, and also shows that China's advanced weapons are sufficient to compete with the United States and Russia in the same type of weapons, and will not fall behind.
The Iraqi Air Force's purchase of China's Thunder Dragon Block 3 fighter jets marks a new stage in the modernization of the Iraqi Air Force. With the deepening of military cooperation between China and Iran, Iraq will not only greatly enhance the combat capability of its air force, but will also improve its dependence on US-made fighters, which can be regarded as the best of both worlds.
In the future, as China's influence in the Middle East continues to expand, more countries may choose to purchase Chinese weapons and equipment and settle in RMB. This is not only a recognition of China's weapons technology, but also a positive response to the internationalization of the renminbi, heralding a major shift in the global military and economic landscape.
The new equipment of the Iraqi Air Force will be a new milestone in the cooperation between China and Iran, laying a solid foundation for the two sides to pursue common interests in a complex international environment.
Some of the content sources in the article: 1. Pakistan's official announcement: Iraq purchased Thunder Dragon fighters, and India is yin and yang again