Breaking news
U.S. will provide military equipment and weapons for Peshmerga infantry and artillery battalions 12004171.
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Defense & Security News - United States
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U.S. will provide military equipment and weapons for Peshmerga infantry and artillery battalions.
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The State Department of United States has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Republic of Iraq to provide military equipment for two Peshmerga infantry brigades and two support artillery battalions. The estimated cost is $295.6 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on April 18, 2017.
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 Peshmerga soldiers learn basic rifle marksmanship during weapons training near Erbil, Iraq , April 4, 2017. (Source picture U.S. MoD) |
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The Government of Iraq has requested a possible sale of the equipment necessary to fully outfit two full Peshmerga Regional Brigades of light infantry, as well as the equipment necessary to outfit two artillery battalions that will ultimately provide support to those regional brigades. These artillery battalions and infantry brigades will operate under the Kurdistan Regional Governments Ministry of Peshmerga (KRG MOP) with the concurrence of the central government.
Requested equipment includes the following: (4,400) M16A4 rifles; (46) M2 50 caliber machine guns; (186) M240B machine guns; (36) M1151 HMMWVs; (77) M1151 up-armored HMMWVs; (12) 3 Kilowatt Tactical Quiet Generator sets; body armor, helmets, and other Organization Clothing and Individual Equipment (OCIE); small arms and associated accessories including tripods, cleaning kits, magazines, and mounts; mortar systems and associated equipment; Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRNE) detection and protective equipment; dismounted and mounted radio systems; commercial navigation equipment including compasses, binoculars, and Geospatial Position System (GPS) limited to the Standard Positioning System (SPS); M1142 HMMWVs; medical equipment; Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAP); cargo and transportation equipment, including light tactical vehicles, medium tactical vehicles, water trucks, fuel trucks, and ambulances; (36) refurbished M119A2 105mm howitzers; spare parts, training and associated equipment related to the mentioned vehicles and artillery systems. The total estimated program cost is $295.6 million. This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States, by supporting Iraq’s capacity to degrade and defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Iraq will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces. There are a number of contractors involved in this effort, including but not limited to AM General, Oshkosh Defense, Navistar Defense, Harris Radio, and Colt Corporation. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale. |
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 Peshmerga soldiers practice providing security during the Modern Brigade Course culmination exercise near Atrush, Iraq, Oct. 12, 2016. (Source picture U.S. MoD) |
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