Iraq’s Chinese-Made Killer Drones Are Actually Pretty Good

On Feb. 12th, 2018, the Iraqi ministry of defense released a video depicting its Chinese-made CH-4B armed unmanned aerial vehicles. The brief report underscores the type’s success in Iraqi service.

The video claims that the CH-4B drones have executed most of their attack and reconnaissance missions in northwest Iraq. Since their entry into operational service, they have performed no fewer than 260 air strikes against Islamic State targets, with a success rate close to 100 percent.

Iraq ordered its CH-4Bs from China in 2014, probably after the visit to Iraq by the Chinese foreign minister in February of that year. The CH-4 is inspired by the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator and is designed by China Aerospace Long March International.

Iraq’s Chinese-Made Killer Drones Are Actually Pretty Good - CH-4Bs have proved effective against Islamic State

How Iraq Makes Combat Pilots

During the occupation that followed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, most Iraqi combat aircraft — MiG-23s, MiG-25s and Su-25s — were discovered by coalition forces in poor condition on various air bases, while others were discovered buried outside their bases or in nearby towns and villages where they had been abandoned.

Most IrAF aircraft were destroyed during and after the invasion, and any remaining materiel was discarded in the immediate aftermath of the war. No aircraft acquired during the era of Saddam Hussein would be retained in service by the new Iraqi air arms.

How Iraq Makes Combat Pilots

New loss for Iraqi Army Aviation in the battle of Mosul

Iraqi Army Aviation has lost a Bell IA-407 on 13 May in western Mosul near Al-Qayrawan region. The pilots managed to land safely in a PMU (Popular Mobilization Units) base after being hit by ground fire and later evacuated. This is the second Bell IA-407 down in five weeks. Previous one was down on 6 April in Al-Muhandisin district of Mosul city. A Mi-35 crashed near Baiji on 4 January and another Bell IA-407 was lost in Mukeshefah area North of Samarra at 140 km north of Baghdad on 29 October 2016. Seven Bell helicopters were captured, crashed or shot down in three years of fighting against Islamic State.

My publication in March

This month, two of my short reports are published in March Issue of Air Force Monthly about the deployment of Nigerian Air Force in Gambia and a combat report about Iraqi Air Force and Iraqi Army Aviation in action in the battle of Mosul.

Iraqi Army Aviation Mi-35M crashed near Baiji

An Iraqi Army Aviation Mi-35M crashed near Baiji this morning killing the four crew members : Pilot Mojtaba Kazazi Hilal, Lieutenant Hussein Kamel, Joey Omar Arif, Weapons technician Jabbar. The 35th Attack Squadron of Iraqi Army Aviation lost four others Mi-35M before, one crashed at Al-Saqlawiyah near Fallujah on 16 June 2014 and another was shot down on 3 October 2014 by a FN-6 MANPADS between Baiji and al-Senniyah. On 4 November, a pilot managed to make an emergency landing after beeing wounded by ground fire west of Ramadi. The helicopter and its crew were safe. On 22 August 2015, Mi-35M serial “YI-361” has made an emergency landing in a safe area west of Samarra after hit a power line. The crew was wounded and the helicopter suffered damages after starting to burn. On 4 April 2016, another Hind crashed near al-Kut airbase injuring the two crew members. On mid-2013, a contract was signed for an order of 28 Mi-35M and fifteen Mi-28NE helicopters. Twenty units have been already delivered into five batches of four : first in November 2013, the last on 26th August 2015. The fifteen remaining helicopters are in service with 35th Attack Squadron.

Fighting are tough for Iraqi helicopter pilots

Iraq’s war on Islamic State has taken a heavy toll on the Iraqi army’s helicopter crews. And the battle of Mosul that began in October 2016 has only increased the pressure on the young aviation force, which formed with American assistance in 2007.

Many of the Iraqi army’s chopper crews fly from Erbil airport in Iraqi Kurdistan and Qayyarah airfield south of Mosul. The force suffered its latest loss on Oct. 29, 2016, when a Bell IA-407 belonging to the army’s 21 Squadron crashed in the Mukeshefah area north of Samarra.

We spoke to two pilots who’ve been fighting ISIS for more than two years.

Iraqi Army Chopper Pilot — ‘The Fighting Must Continue!’

Iraqi Army Aviation Bell IA-407 crashed North of Samarra

An Iraqi Army Aviation Bell IA-407 belonging to 21st Armed Reconnaissance Squadron crashed in Mukeshefah area North of Samarra at 140 km north of Baghdad on Saturday 29 October. The two crew members, pilot Hussein Ali Kadhim and First Lieutenant Ali Hafez were killed. This is the fifth Bell IA-407 lost in more than two years. One was captured at al-Mosul when Islamic States militants have taken the base on 9 June 2014. On 8 October 2014,  Capt Haidar Hamad Jaber and Capt Yazan Mohammed Abdel-Rahman al-Lami were KIA when their helicopter was shot down by FN-6 MANPADS near Baiji during support mission for a Mi-17. On 28 September 2015, Bell IA-407 serial number 'YI-125' was hit by ground fire and crash-landed west of COB Speicher. The crew was rescued by an EC635. On 17 February 2016, Maj Ahmed Nehru and 1st Lt Oumid were KIA when their helicopter was shot down near Amiriyat Al-Fallujah.

Update 4 Nov. 2016 : according to my colleague Marco Dijkshoorn, this Bell IA-407 was serial number 'YI-137' and may have belonged to 22nd Armed Reconnaissance Squadron, not 21st.

Erratum : Iraqi Air Power Reborn book

Following the publication of 'Iraqi Air Power Reborn', some readers reported some errors in the book. The list below is not fixed and will change over readers comments :

1 - Data are missing in the attrition table p76 :

The Mi-17 that made a hard landing at Tikrit on 26 June 2014 (see p61) is not reported in the table

2 - There are some contradiction between the text and the attrition table p76 :

The type of helicopter is reverse for the two losses of 6 and 19 January 2014 in the text p60. Data in the table are correct. The text should have been : 'On the 6th, a UH-1H crashed near Tikrit, killing its pilots Capt Mohammed Khaled Aziz and Lt Ahmed Ali Mohsen. On the 14th, helicopters intervened in Saklaouya, a city near Fallujah, against insurgents who had stormed the police station. On the 19th, Leith Yahya Al Karbalai and Sebah Abdel al-Hassan al-Gharibawi from the 4th Utility Squadron died in the crash of their Mi-17 at al-Habbaniyah AB'

 

My publication in July

This month, I published three articles in August issue of Combat Aircraft Monthly. Foremost, two short items in World News section about the second Iraqi 'Vipers' batch that began test flights and one of the two Libyan Mirage F1ED returned to sevice and finally lost. The major item is a Combat Report on operation 'Breaking Terrorism', the battle for the recovery of Fallujah in the hands of Islamic State since January 2014.

Who was really involved in the ISIS convoy attacks near Fallujah ?

On 30 June, 2016, the Ministry of Defense in Baghdad announced an attack on a big convoy of Islamic State fighters moving out of Fallujah.

During the night of June 28 and 29, someone destroyed most of this convoy — around 260 vehicles — and killed as many as 750 militants.

Later during the day, the spokesman for the coalition Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve announced that it took part in these air strikes — but Iraqis sources denied that claim.

Who was really involved and what was the actual target? I asked Iraqi military pilots. And what they told me contradicted the coalition’s official story.

Iraqis and Americans Butted Heads Over the ISIS ‘Convoy Massacre’

Iraqi Air Power Reborn: The Iraqi Air Arms Since 2004

After nearly a year of work with Harpia Publishing, my new book, "Iraqi Air Power Reborn" went to the printing house. In 2003, the Iraqi Air Force has been almost entirely decimated by coalition air strikes and during the insurgency that followed. Baghdad had to rebuild its air power from scratch. This book summarizes the history of the Iraqi Air Force and Iraqi Army Aviation until 2003 before detailing the acquiring of new training, reconnaissance, attack and fighter aircrafts and helicopters squadrons. The last part details the combats of the new Iraqi Air Force and Iraqi Army Aviation against local and foreign insurgents, including the so-called Islamic State. A map of all current Iraqi air bases complements the comprehensive photographic coverage and a detailed order of battle is included, together with squadron patches and artworks (drawn by Tom Cooper). A full list is provided of aircraft serial numbers and attrition to all causes since 2004.

Eight pages of the book are now available in preview on Harpia Publishing website. It should be available starting April 22nd and can be ordered in the following store :
- In Belgium, at the Librairie de l'Escadron
- In France, in Avions Bateaux and La Maison du Livre Aviation
- In the UK, at The Aviation Bookshop
- In the Netherlands, at Aviation Megastore
- In the US, at Casemate (not before late May/early June)

Iraqi Mi-35M crashed near al-Kut airbase

An Iraqi Army Aviation Mi-35M crashed near al-Kut airbase this morning. The two crew members (injured in the accident) have reported a technical problem. This is the fourth "Hind" helicopter lost by Iraqi forces since June 2014 and the third helicopters (of all types) since the begining of the year. On mid-2013, a contract was signed for an order of 28 Mi-35M and fifteen Mi-28NE helicopters. Twenty units have been already delivered into five batches of four : first in November 2013, the last on 26th August 2015. The sixteen remaining helicopters are in service with 35th Attack Squadron.

Photo of the wreckage of the Mi-35 crashed near al-Kut airbase (via Ra'is Urafa Fayli)

New helicopter lost for Iraqi Army Aviation

After the crash of a Mi-17 of 85th Training Squadron yesterday, Iraqi Army Aviation lost another hélicopter today. One Bell IA-407 from 21st Armed Reconnaissance Squadron has been shot down near Amiriyat Al-Fallujah. The two crew members, Major Ahmed Nehru and 1st Lieutenant Oumid, were killed.

Iraqi Army Aviation Mi-17 crashed in al-Kut city

On February 16th, Iraqi Army Aviation lost one of its Mi-17 in eastern area of al-Kut city. The helicopter was on the way from Shuaiba AB to al-Taji AB when he suffered technical problem killing nine militaries including the two pilots Captain Mohammed Qasim and Captain Mohammed Ghaeb. This Mi-17 belonged to the 85th Training Squadron which is used for advanced training flight before pilots moving to operational squadron.The 85th Squadron is equipped with Mi-17-V5 and Mi-17CT.

Video of an Iraqi Mi-35M badly damaged in August 2015

On August 22nd, 2015, Mi-35M serial “YI-361” has made an emergency landing in a safe area west of Samarra after hit a power line. The crew was wounded and the helicopter suffered damages after starting to burn. A technical specialized team examined the damages before transferring it to its own base to eventually be repaired and returned to service. The video and photos below show this Hind being transported on a truck. But seeing the footage, the helicopter was structure damaged, especially on the tail which part is missing. The 35th Attack Squadron of Iraqi Army Aviation lost two others Mi-35M before, one crashed at Al-Saqlawiyah near Fallujah on June 16th, 2014 and another was shot down on October 3rd, 2014 by a FN-6 MANPADS between Baiji and al-Senniyah. On November 4th, a pilot managed to make an emergency landing after been wounded by ground fire west of Ramadi. The helicopter and its crew were safe.

Iraqi MoD confirmed first CH-4B airstrike

Iraqi Defense Ministry published yesterday the official video already revealed on Tuesday, December, 8th, by AeroHisto blog : the exclusive video of the first airstrike by an Iraqi Army Aviation drone CH-4B, confirming first airstrikes performed by its chinese made attack drones.

 

The first part of the video is similar to AeroHisto footages. The second part show a strike aborted few seconds before the HJ-10 ATGM (Anti-Tank Guided Missile) hits the target due to the presence of children in the area.

First airstrikes for Iraqi CH-4B UAV

Two months ago, first official flight of an Iraqi CH-4B Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) was performed during the visit of Defence Minister, Mr. Khaled al-Obeidi at al-Kut Air Base. On December 6th, a CH-4B from 84th Squadron was engaged for the first time in an airstrike in Ramadi destroying an artillery piece hidden in a factory. This gun was targeting Iraqi forces stationed at Palestine Bridge north of the city. On 25 November, with the support of the bombing of the international coalition led by the US, Iraqi security forces (ISF) and anti-terrorism forces regained Palestine Bridge, which crosses the Euphrates. The video below show the FLIR of one of these drones targeting a gathering of ISIS fighters, western of the city of Ramadi, destroying one vehicle with an HG-10 ATGM (Anti-Tank Guided Missile). Iraq ordered CH-4B to China, probably after the visit of Chinese foreign minister in February 2014. First batch was received on January 23rd, 2015.

Video : First shot of Ingwe missile by Iraqi Eurocopter EC-635

In 2009, Iraqi Mod signed a contract with France for two dozen Eurocopter EC-635. In 2010, Eurocopter (become Airbus Helicopters) wanted to integrated Ingwe anti-tank missiles (from Denel Dynamics) to the type as part of the Stand Alone Weapon System (SAWS) weapons kit. First helicopter, serial “YI-293” was then sent to South Africa. From early August 2015, according to Defence Web, Iraqi EC-635 added Denel's Ingwe ATGM at their range of weapons. Begining November they carried out first attacks with this new missile. The SAWS features a Belgian FN Herstal HMP–400 12.7 mm machine gun, a French Nexter NC-621 20mm cannon, FZ-233 70 mm rockets and Denel’s Ingwe ATGM. The two pictures below show EC-635 serial "YI-276" carrying Ingwe launchers.

Exclusive footage of Iraqi Army Aviation engaged near Ramadi and Baiji

The first video below was taken by the FLIR of a Bell IA-407 engaged in combat operation in Ramadi area together with Mi-28NE. The action took place precisely in Albu Faraj area near Ramadi on October 17th. Many ISIS positions were destroyed using Ataka missiles and rockets.

Video - First official footages of Iraqi CH-4B UAV

On Saturday morning of October 10th, 2015, Iraqi Defence Minister Mr. Khaled al-Obeidi visited al-Kut Air Base and oversaw the launch of the first official flight of Iraqi CH-4B drone that will be used against ISIS. Iraq ordered CH-4B UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) to China, probably after the visit of Chinese foreign minister in February 2014. According to Aero Histo sources, the first batch was received on January 23rd, 2015. First pictures of three units were seen in March.