Key Points
- Russian officials have said that TOS-1A rocket launchers are being delivered to Iraq under a USD1 billion arms deal
- The acquisition of Russian artillery and ground attack aircraft raises questions about the tactics that the Iraqi military intends to use against the Sunni areas that are currently controlled by militants
A TOR-1A Solntsepek multiple rocket launcher (MRL) has been observed being unloaded in Baghdad: a revelation that appears to reflect a wider effort by Iraq to rapidly acquire inexpensive, but comparatively indiscriminate weaponry to fight the Sunni militants who have taken control of much of the north and west of the country.
A Sunni opposition group called the Iraqi Revolution released photographs on 27 July of what it claimed were TOS-1 Buratino MRL systems being delivered by an Antonov An-225 transport aircraft to Baghdad the previous morning.
Only produced in small numbers, the TOS-1 is basically a T-72 tank that has had its turret replaced with an MRL that fires 220 mm rockets, which carry thermobaric warheads. The comparatively short-range system is designed to pave the way for ground assaults and was reportedly used extensively during the Russian offensive against the Chechen capital Grozny in 1999.
One of two photos that the Iraqi Revolution opposition group posted on its Facebook page on 27 July to show what it claimed was a An-225 delivering TOS-1 rocket launchers, but actually shows an An-124-100 and what appears to be a TOS-1A launcher and possibly a resupply vehicle. (Iraqi Revolution)The grainy photographs posted on Iraqi Revolution's Facebook page appear to show the newer TOS-1A Solntsepek launcher, which has 24 tubes rather than the 30 on the original TOS-1 and uses a longer-range rocket. A second vehicle that might be a resupply vehicle can also be seen.
The aircraft in the images is a Volga-Dnepr Airlines An-124-100, rather than a larger An-225, meaning the aircraft could probably carry only two TOS-1 vehicles.
The arrival of the system came after Iraqi Defence Minister Saadun al-Dulaimi visited Moscow. The Iraqi Ministry of Defence (MoD) said he would discuss various issues, including the possibility of speeding up the delivery of weapons and equipment.
During the visit Dulaimi signed arms contracts worth more than USD1 billion for large quantities of artillery, mortars and ammunition, the Russian newspaper Vedomosti reported on 30 July, citing two officials in the defence industrial complex as its source. The officials said the deal included TOS-1A Solntsepek MRLs, "two or three divisions" of 122 mm Grad (MRLs), the same number of 152 mm 2A65 MSTA-B towed howitzers, and a significant number of 120 mm 2B11 Sani and 82 mm 2B14 Podnos mortars.
The acquisition of Russian artillery will complicate logistics for the Iraqi Army, which already uses US-supplied 155 mm M198 and M109 howitzers.
Iraq announced in June that Russia had delivered five Sukhoi Su-25 ground attack aircraft. At the time, the Iraqi MoD presented this acquisition as being part of a large deal that was concluded in 2012. However, the commander of the Iraqi Air Force (IqAF) told the Sotaliraq.com news website that the deal had been done quickly.
General Anwar Hamad Amen Ahmed also denied claims that Iranian pilots were flying the aircraft, saying: "You can visit the operational base for the aircraft and meet Iraqi pilots who are flying these aircraft and they have full knowledge … having been put through a short and simple training cycle".
While no photographs or video footage of the Russian-supplied Su-25s have emerged since they were seen being unloaded, the MoD has released imagery of three Iranian Su-25s that it presented as being the Russian aircraft.
The IqAF also denied claims that civilians were being killed in Su-25 airstrikes carried out against militant-controlled areas in the north and west of the country.
Both the Russian and Iranian Su-25s acquired by Iraq are unlikely to have the ability to launch any precision-guided munitions. A video released by the MoD showed one of the Iranian aircraft being armed with unguided FAB-500 and OFAB-250-270 bombs.
While the acquisition of Russian hardware suggests that collateral damage will not be a significant concern for the Iraqi military as it tries to re-establish control over Sunni-dominated areas, the United States is preparing to increase Iraq's ability to carry out precision airstrikes.
The US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on 28 July that Iraq had requested another 5,000 AGM-114K/N/R, related equipment and support services for an estimated USD700 million. The laser-guided missiles are fired from the IqAF's Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft.
A previous request announced by the DSCA on 23 January covered the delivery of 500 AGM-114K/R Hellfire missiles for an estimated USD82 million.
The AGM-114K is an anti-tank version of the Hellfire and the AGM-114R is fitted with a thermobaric warhead, while the AGM-114R uses a warhead that combines the properties of the anti-tank, blast/fragmentation and thermobaric versions.
Related article: Foreign combat aircraft pour into Iraq
