Iraqi Hercules in France
IRAQI AIR Force (IQAF) C-130J YI-306 (c/n 5704) arrives at Villacoublay air base, near Paris, on November 12. The Hercules was in France to transport the Iraqi defence minister and 24 other people. It’s thought to be the first time an Iraqi C-130 has visited France. Noteworthy is the return of the pre-2004 Iraqi Air Force insignia on the rear fuselage. The IQAF announced last March that it was preparing to reinstate the historical insignia, which to date has also been seen on Beech 350 ISR YI-156 and RC-208 YI-112. The IQAF’s Transport Wing is responsible for six C-130Js assigned to the 23rd (Transport) Squadron at New Al Muthanna Air Base, Baghdad. The first three Super Hercules were accepted in Baghdad in December 2012 and the remaining three were ferried to Iraq in May the following year. The unit’s three C-130Es were put in storage in September 2017.
UAE to upgrade Mirage 2000-9 fleet
THE UNITED Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced a long-awaited deal to upgrade the fleet of Mirage 2000-9 fighters flown by the United Arab Emirates Air Force and Air Defence (UAEAF&AD). As part of the US$929m modernisation, four contracts were announced during the course of the Dubai Airsho…
