Iraqi Armed Forces Forums منتدى القوات المسلحة العراقية

It is little known that in 1957 Iraq agreed with the USA the delivery of North American F-86 Sabre interceptors, famous from the Korean War.

Five of these arrived at Habbaniya AB, in early 1958, shortly before the 14 Tammuz Revolution. They were scheduled to enter service with No.4 Squadron (which flew Hawker Furies at that time).

Subsequent deliveries - which were to include a number of radar-equipped F-86Ks as well - have all been cancelled.

The five Sabres that arrived were stored into a hangar at Habbaniyah AB and remained there until all were returned to the USA, sometimes after one of the coups in 1963.

It would be very interesting to learn if any RIrAF pilots visited the USA for conversion courses, or if all the training was to be undertaken in Iraq?

I think they didn't have time to train the Iraqis pilots on the planes, after the outbreak of the Iraqi revolution in 1958 and which has been increasingly reliant on the former Soviet Union to bought weapons and military equipment. These aircrafts have been in their boxes in the stores and have been returned to the United States.

The practice back then (and nowadays too) was always to start the training of pilots and ground crews in advance of first deliveries. This was the case when Iraq was donated Hunters, when it purchased first MiG-19s, MiG-21s etc.

And that's why I wonder if RIrAF personnel was sent to the USA for training before delivery of F-86s.

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