An answer to Offiziere.ch and Mr Chris Biggers ad hominem attacks

On 20 September 2016, Offiziere.ch published on his website an update of Mr Chris Biggers article following a piece that was published on War Is Boring in August in which I made a criticism of his analysis. Offiziere presented me as "a military aviation enthusiast for over 25 years", that's true as readers of my blog can see here, but it is a little reductor seeing Offiziere presented Mr Biggers as a "10 years of experience in analyzing satellite imagery for government and clients". I also published around thirty articles in English and French specialized magazines (samples here), I am author/co-author of four books included three with Tom Cooper with whom I worked since at least five years. My latest book is Iraqi Air Power Reborn edited by Harpia Publishing.

In his update, Offiziere has used ad hominem attacks, while I only made a review of a content.

How many Su-25s operational in Iraqi AIr Force ?

A Sept. 2, 2016 analysis of satellite imagery from July seems to confirm that the Iraqi air force — the IqAF — maintains 21 Su-25 Frogfoot attack jets at Al Rashid air base.

According to the website Offiziere, the space-based photo suggests that two shipments of the rugged, twin-engine Su-25s — Russia’s answer to America’s A-10 Warthog — have occurred since the beginning of 2016.

Offiziere is wrong. But here’s how the website understandably arrived at that incorrect conclusion.

Let’s Account for All of Iraq’s Tank-Busting Jets - Counting Baghdad’s Su-25s is tricky business

Iraqi Air Force finally received four Su-25s from Russia

Contrary to what spokesman of the Ministry of defence (Dr. Naseer Nouri Mohamed Al Tamimi) in a press release said yesterday, Iraqi Air Force did not received three, but four new Su-25s "Frogfoot" (three single-seaters and one two seaters) from Russia as the photos below show.

Update 21st April 2016 : The dual-seater serial "2501" is not a former Iranian aircraft. He was already spotted last October and was not part of the last delivery. The former user is not known ...

Iraq received three new Su-25s from Russia

Spokesman of the Ministry of defence (Dr. Naseer Nouri Mohamed Al Tamimi) in a press release of the Ministry's information centre announced the arrival of three new Sukhoi jets (Su-25), under contract with the Federal Republic of Russia, and tons of materiel (light, medium and heavy) from various global sources.

Video : embedded onboard an Iraqi Su-25

On June 28th, 2014, Iraqi Air Force started to receive Su-25 Frogfoots from Russia and Iran. Five of them where Su-25SMs, seven were ex-IRGCASF Su-25KMs (four units) and Su-25UBKMs (three units). They were based at Al-Rashid AB in the new 109th Attack Squadron formed officially on April 2015. One of the aircraft was lost in summer 2014 when it crashed on taking off. On July 13th, one new Su-25 was delivered by Iran in replacement for the aircraft lost. In September, a new Su-25K, was seen with new color scheme and serial “2502”.

Iraqi pilots train in Belarus and Pakistan

On September 20th, video appeared on social media showing the training of Iraqi pilots on Belarus Su-25. Su-25 serial "82" was already seen at Minsk on May 16th, for the 35th anniversary of the 50th airbase airshow.

Right picture : © Alexandr Lazarev

Photos and video of Iraqi Su-25 engaged in Tikrit battle

The first series of six photos of Iraqi Air Force Su-25 was taken at Al Rashid airbase near Baghdad by Rod Nordland (Foreign Correspondent for NYT). Three different "Frogfoot" can be seen. The first one is a former-Iranian Su-25UBKM delivered on July 2014 and coded "2500", the two others are former-Russian Su-25SM coded "2520" (c/n 03124 delivered on June 28) and "2522".On the video, Su-25SM "2520" is preparing to take off for a bombing mission over Tikrit. It carries two external fuel tanks and four FAB-250 bombs.

Former Iranian Su-25UBKM "2500"