Training the Iraqi Air Force

WINEP, Aug 07: Training the Iraqi Air Force: Lessons from a U.S. C-130 Advisory Mission

Quote:

---

The initial need to police more than 3,500 miles of border, monitor national assets, deploy security forces, and airlift senior government officials led to the rebuilding of the IqAF. Given the mission requirements, initial efforts focused on acquiring surveillance aircraft, fixed-winged transportation, and rotary lift. This chapter focuses on the acquisition of C-130 aircraft for the IqAF and establishment of the Advisory Support Team mission. As background, the discussion begins with the Iraqi request and U.S. actions to identify C-130 aircraft, initial funding, and advisors. It concludes with a review of command relationships and establishment of CAFTT to provide an initial understanding of existing chains of command and the organizations responsible for the operations of aviation advisors in Iraq....

---

JFQ, 3rd Qtr 08: The Imbalance in Iraqi Security Force Transition

Quote:

---

.....U.S. security forces in Iraq currently operate jointly, which includes ground forces, aviation and aviation support forces, logistics forces, and command and control forces. While the ground force transition is moving forward at a measured pace, too little is being done to train and transition aviation and aviation support assets to keep pace with the ground transition. The continued reliance on American aviation functions in support of the Iraqi ground force transition will lead to an Iraqi ground force trained and conditioned to integrate aviation into their operational construct but completely reliant on American aviation to support that requirement.

This article identifies the strategic environment that predicates a balanced and timesensitive joint security force transition. It highlights the imperatives for synchronizing various aviation-related functions with the progress of the ground force transition. It also explores the time, training, and equipment challenges of building a relevant aviation enabler for ground forces. Finally, it provides recommendations for synchronizing the Iraqi aviation force transition in critical areas....

---