Iraq prepares to receive advanced air defense systems and long-range radars

An Iraqi Special Forces unit participate in Army Day celebrations at the Camp Taji military base north of Baghdad on January 6, 2025. Photo: AFP Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraq is preparing to receive advanced air defense systems, long-range surveillance radars, and anti-missile and counter-drone batteries to bolster its defense capabilities and protect sovereign airspace and critical infrastructure, announced Major General Sabah Al-Numan, spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Speaking to the official gazette, Al-Numan stated that deploying the incoming systems marks a strategic shift in building Iraq’s sovereign military capabilities, equipping the armed forces to enforce airspace integrity and intercept aerial breaches and external threats. He emphasized that the initiative aims to safeguard vital economic and oil infrastructure, enhance operational self-reliance, reduce dependence on external security guarantees, and prevent Iraqi airspace from being used as a battleground in regional conflicts. Meanwhile, Khalid Sido, a member of the Parliamentary Security and Defense Committee, stressed the need to review budgetary allocations for the Ministry of Defense to reflect modern warfare realities. Sido noted that upgrading national air defense networks requires dedicated legislative scrutiny, warning that current spending allocations remain insufficient to meet the technical demands of acquiring advanced counter-drone systems and ballistic missile interceptors.