Old Iraqi Army Archive

Long-awaited, our book about the Iraqi Mirages is already available. As an effort from the OIAA to provide an accurate picture of the events concerning the Mirage F.1EQ story in Iraq, the book is printed in full-color (230 pages), providing a good reference on contracts, Mirage variants, missions, pictures and anecdotes covering the period 1975-2003. Endorsed by IQAF personnel, wi th the collaboration of several key Mirage F.1EQ figures, it is the author's intention that this book serves as a tribute to those who spent most of their lives working side by side with these beautiful birds. Let's take-off... The book can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Iraqi-Mirages-Combat-story-F-1EQ/dp/1717467555 Happy reading!!

After the creation of the Iraqi Army in 1921, the country decided to establish an air arm to support their ground troops and increase the combat capability. Thinking small at the beginning, Iraq planned to develop its air force depending on their needs and the financial situation of the country. Following an agreement signed with the British in 1924 within the framework of the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty of October 1922, the latter committed to withdraw its RAF squadrons from Iraq, being them replaced slowly by Iraqi units. After tough negotiations and several delays which got to put a strain on the already fragile Iraqi-British relations, it was finally agreed that six Iraqi pilots would be trained at the British Air Force College in Cranwell. The names of these students were: Mohammed Ali Jawad, Natiq Mohammed Khalil Al Tai,  Musa Ali Talib (all three in the final year of military school), Nasser Hussein Al Janabi (second year of military school), Hifzi  Aziz (fourth grade of...

     On 6 January 1921, the Headquarters of the Ministry of Defense was established. Initially, the Army was formed of volunteers between 18 and 40 years old with serving terms ranging from two years for Infantry to three years for the other arms, consisting mainly in those days of Cavalry, Packed Artillery and Animal Transport. On the 28 July, 1921, the First Infantry Regiment was formed and placed under Iraqi Officers that had service records in the Turkish Army. The Army was organized on a Regiment basis at the beginning. This was changed later and the Infantry Brigade was considered to be the standard fighting formation. It was designed and equipped to operate on various types of Iraqi terrain which varied from mountains in the north to deserts and marshes in the south. In mid-1936, though, the Army was reorganized on a Divisional basis, with the First Infantry Division (1ID) and the Second Infantry Division (2ID) being created on the 15 April 1936.  ...