Iraqi Air Defence Command

Iraqi Air Defence Command
Iraqi Air Defence Command
قيادة الدفاع الجوي العراقي
	Iraqi Air Defence Command Insigna
Active	1955 (as unofficial command); 11 February 1993 (officially formed); 2011 (current form)
Country	Iraq
Type	Air Defence
Role	Anti-aircraft warfare
Size	≈ 10,000
Part of	Iraqi Armed Forces
Command Headquarters	Baghdad, Iraq
Beret colour	Black
Anniversaries	11 February 1993
Equipment	see below
Engagements	Iran–Iraq War; Invasion of Kuwait; Gulf War; Iraq War; Iraqi no-fly zones conflict; 2024 Iran–Israel conflict;
Commanders
Commander of the Iraqi Air Defence Command	Major General Muhannad Ghaleb Al-Asadi
Insignia
Flag of the Iraqi Air Defence Command

The Iraqi Air Defence Command (Arabic: قيادة الدفاع الجوي العراقي) is the air defence component of the Iraqi Armed Forces. established on February 11, 1993, to protect Iraq’s airspace from any external air attack. It is one of the important groups that had an effective role in protecting the Iraqi airspace even before it was officially formed in 1993. It was reformed in 2011.^[1]

History

The emergence of aircraft and their use for military purposes in the First World War led to the emergence of counter-fighting means using artillery, anti-aircraft machine guns, balloon barriers, and visual monitoring. The use of these means during the First World War and in the period that followed did not exceed the tactical level. During the Second World War and the period that followed it witnessed defense The air force developed rapidly and effectively as a result of the development that occurred in modern air attack means. The scope of work of air defense means expanded and went beyond the tactical level and became a field for the art of operations.^[2]^[3]

In the circumstances of modern war, the destructive power of air attack weapons has increased greatly, and tactical methods for using them have developed, which has led to air defense being considered one of the basic elements in the defense of any country. It represents the shield that provides protection for the state’s vital activities and its armed forces from any hostile air attack, and air defense is costly. Usually by protecting industrial and economic areas, political and administrative centers, areas where land, air and naval forces are concentrated, and other vital targets and military means in the field during advances and attacks, to protect them from air threats.^[4]

At the beginning of the establishment of the Iraqi army, anti-aircraft weapons had little importance, as there was no air threat, and the role of air defense did not appear clearly at that time, as the ground forces at that time relied on rifles and machine guns in the infantry regiments and other units to confront enemy aircraft. After the establishment of the Iraqi army, thinking began about purchasing anti-aircraft weapons for the purposes of protection against enemy aircraft.

Iraqi air defenses were redesigned after the Israeli raid on the nuclear reactor “Operation Tammuz Reactor” in 1981. A network of radars, surface-to-air missiles (SAM) and anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) was installed, concentrated around strategic and industrial facilities in the city of Baghdad. National Air Defense Operations Center (ADOC) in central Baghdad. It is its responsibility to protect the skies of Iraq from any external aggression.

Even after the First Gulf War in 1991, the Iraqi army still possesses a wide range of advanced weapons with which it can attack civilian aircraft flying over Iraq. These weapons include Russian weapons and French-made fighter planes carrying air-to-air missiles. Russian air and surface-to-air missile systems, a partially built integrated air defense system and early warning radars.^[5]

After the year 2003 and the dissolution of the Iraqi army, the Iraqi Air Defense Command became more dependent on Western sources than Eastern ones, so it received advanced American systems such as MIM-23 Hawk and AN/TWQ-1 Avenger, and advanced American radars by United States, Also Russian Pantsir-S1.

Leadership Structure

The former integrated air defence consisted of the National Air Defence Operations Center in Baghdad and the following four air defence sectors:^[6]

The 1st Air Defence Operations Command, also called the Central Region Air Defence Sector, has an operations center sector in Taji and operations centers in Taji, Taqaddam, Salman Pak, Kut, Najaf and Nukhib.
The 2nd Air Defence Operations Command, also known as the Western Air Defence Command, has bases located at the South Oil Company, H-3 airfield with H-1 airfield, and Rutba.
The 3rd Air Defence Operations Command, also known as the Southern Air Defence Operations Command, has bases located in the South Oil Company, Tallil Airport, and the international oil companies in Tallil, Al-Amarah, Salman, and Zubair.
The 4th Air Defence Operations Command, also known as the Northern Air Defence Operations Command, is headquartered at the North Oil Company in Kirkuk, with the international oil companies in Kirkuk and Mosul.

Each Air Defence Operations Command was assigned early warning battalions, which were responsible for operating optical observation points and air surveillance radars.^[7]

Air Defence coverage is concentrated throughout Baghdad and the main military and strategic objectives. Many of the Iraqi Air Defence weapons were destroyed in the Gulf War and during the American strikes, which resulted in the imposition of a spokesperson over the north and south of Iraq. Iraq still retains a good number of systems Weapons for Air Defence Despite these losses, Iraq possesses SAM 2, SAM 3, SAM 6, SAM 7, SAM 8, SAM 9, SAM 13, SAM 16 Hawk and ROLAND I/II SAMs.^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11]

Commanders of the Iraqi Air Defence Command

Commander of Air and Air Defense Forces Muzahim Saab reviewing Air Defense Staff in 1988.

Republic of Iraq (1968-1979)

Director of the Anti-Aircraft and Anti-Missile Department of the General Staff

1968–1973, Major General Dawud Salman al-Ghalay
1973–1979, Brigadier General Muhammad Salim Ahmed

Director of the Missile Directorate of the Air Force

1971–1979, Brigadier General Burhan al-Din Muhammad Tawfiq

Republic of Iraq (1979-1993)

Republic of Iraq (1993-2003)

1993–1999, Lieutenant General of Air Defense Shaheen Yassin Muhammad^[12]
1999–2003, Lieutentant General of Air Defense Muzahim Sa'ab Hassan

Republic of Iraq (2011-present)

2017–2020, Lieutenant General of Air Defense Jabbar Obaidi Kadhimi^[13]
2020–2024, Lieutentant General of Air Defense Maan Zaid Al Saadi^[14]
2024–present, Major General of Air Defense Muhannad Ghaleb Al-Asadi

Equipment

Captured Iraqi SA-6 Gainful low-to-medium altitude surface-to-air-missiles (SAM) on their transporter-erector-launcher (TEL)

By 1990, Iraq possessed 16,000 surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) with radar and thermal trackers, including the Soviet SA-2, SA-3, SA-6, SA-7, SA-8, SA-9, SA-13, SA-14, SA-16, and French Roland (SHORAD). The Air Force also possessed anti-air defence missiles, including the SA-7/14, SA-8, SA-9/13, SA-16 missile systems, and the ZSU-23/4 AAA self-propelled system. A boost to this, the Iraqi Air Defence had more than 7,500 AAA items all valuable targets, some of which were scattered on the roofs of Baghdad's many buildings. These weapons - 57 mm and 37 mm AAA parts, ZSU-23/4 and ZSU-57/2 AAA self-propelled systems, and hundreds of 14.5 mm and 23 mm anti-Aircraft weapons - formed the backbone and integrated air defence network in major relevant and valuable areas. High (such as Baghdad, airports, residential complexes, chemical production plants, and nuclear facilities) Combined air defence may be a lethal weapon for aircraft operating below 15,000 feet.^[15]

After 2003

As a result of the military operations in 2003 and the subsequent events, the Iraqi Air Defence Command lost most of the radars and interceptors, as well as the planes under its command, The Iraqi army began to pay attention to the Air Defence Command and to arm it again with radars and anti-Aircraft missiles.^[16]^[17]

Current Equipment of the Iraqi Air Defence Command

Radars


Radar	Origin	Type
AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel	United States	3D radar system used to alert and cue Short Range Air Defence (SHORAD)
An-117	United States	Phased array Long-Range Radar System
AN/TPQ-37	United States	mobile radar system
MSTAR	United States	mobile radar system
Ground Master 400^[18]	United States	mobile radar system

Air Defence Systems


System	Type	Origine	Quantity
AZP-60	Autocannon	Soviet Union	~250
Bofors 40 mm L/60 gun	anti-Aircraft Autocannon (including British variants)	Sweden United Kingdom	~100
AN/TWQ-1 Avenger	short-range air defence	United States	~100
MIM-23 Hawk	Medium-range SAM missile	United States	~50
Pantsir S-1^[19](with GM-352 chassis)	Medium-range SAM missile Anti-Aircraft artillery systems	Russia	24
S-400 missile system^[14]	Mobile SAM missile launcher	Russia	~10