Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki is pressing the Pentagon to fast-track delivery of the 18 F-16s ordered under an initial foreign military sales deal last September, reports AFP. Al Maliki “called for the acceleration” of equipping the Iraqi military “in a way that makes it able to defend Iraq, and its sovereignty, and independence,” states the news wire service’s July 16 report, citing a statement from the prime minister’s office. Under the original schedule, the Iraqis were on tap to receive their first F-16s around late 2013. The AFP report does not provide a new target delivery date. Al Maliki stressed that Iraq’s intent is not aggression, but the country would “reject anyone transgressing upon us or infringing on our sovereignty,” states AFP. Iraq is looking to acquire 36 F-16 Block 52 airplanes from the United States under FMS arrangements.
United Launch Alliance’s new Vulcan Centaur rocket is slated to fly its second national security mission in February—nearly six months after its first operational launch and almost a year after it was certified to fly military payloads for the Space Force.
