DJ Elliott is a retired USN Intelligence Specialist (22 years active duty) who has been analyzing and writing on Iraqi Security Forces developments since 2006. His Iraqi Security Forces Order of Battle is an open-source compilation that attempts to map and detail Iraqi units and equipment, as their military branches and internal security forces grow and mature. While “good enough for government use” is not usually uttered as a compliment, US Army TRADOC has maintained permission to use the ISF OOB for their unclassified handouts since 2008.
This compilation is reproduced here with full permission. It offers a set of updates highlighting recent changes in the ISF’s composition and development, followed by the full updated ISF OOBs in PDF format. Reader feedback and tips are encouraged. Recent developments include:
This Iraqi Security Force (ISF) update provides a summary of changes to the ISF during May 2011. The Iraqi Security Force Order of Battle is updated as of 31 June 2011. Of note, Karabala became the first non-Kurdish province to have no US units based in it in May and NATO Training Mission – Iraq is discussing training planned through the end of 2013.
Highlights in this update include:
- Peshmerga RGB development – 15th and 16th IA Mountain Divisions cancelled.
- External Training of IA continues; M198 training in 5th IA Division; BTR4s confirmed in Iraq.
- JBB beginning to turn over to IqAF; Second long-range radar contract awarded; L159s probably being bought; An32 delivery may be accelerated; EC635s and Mi171s arrive.
- More radios for the Federal Police; 1st Mech FP Brigade OPCON 4th FP Division.
Peshmerga
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While the Kurdish Regional Guards Brigades [RGBs] continue to form and train, the planned establishment of Iraqi Mountain Divisions from some of these brigades has been cancelled by Prime Minister Maliki at some time prior to April. The first 4 RGBs are built and operational [1st through 4th]. Four more RGBs are being assembled [5th through 8th]. A further 4 are authorized by the KRG President and are budgeted [9th through 12th].
The US is providing limited assistance in training and equipping these RGBs through the Iraqi Ministry of Defense. The US will not build camps or provide the same equipment sets to RGBs as to Iraqi Army. While the RGBs are to be mixed KDP/PUK, there are some questions as to how much mixing is actually occurring.
Iraqi Army
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External Defense training continues including the separate training deal worked out between the IA 8th Division and the US 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. “Members of the 3rd Battalion, 32nd Brigade, 8th Iraqi Army Division, completed three weeks of training April 27. The 3rd Battalion is the second Iraqi unit to complete training as a part of Eagles Rising, a comprehensive training program developed by the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment to enhance the combat capabilities of Iraqi soldiers.”
Reporting of “All Inclusive Training” in the other 4 IA divisions [3rd, 5th, 7th, and 10th] has started to omit IA battalion identifications, making tracking of details concerning this training difficult.
The 20/5 Brigade was training on former US M198 howitzers on 27 April at Kirkush. This is the first report of M198 155mm howitzer training in the IA. Additional elements of the IA 5th Division have also been reported training on M198s. One of those units is the newly identified “105th Field Artillery Regiment, 5th Iraqi Army Division”. This would be the first divisional Field Artillery Regiment confirmed to have operational howitzers in the IA and is the first IA divisional Field Artillery Regiment identified in press releases.
Unofficial confirmation that the first shipment of BTR-4s have arrived in Iraq was provided in comments to last month’s update, on DJ Elliott’s site.
Iraqi Aviation
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Joint Base Balad is beginning its planned turnover to the IqAF:
“The Iraqi air force is one step closer to taking ownership of JBB. A trio of officers and 11 enlisted airmen arrived May 15 to in-process here. The group is part of the advance echelon team of 60 Iraqi airmen projected to arrive.”
A contract to provide a turn-key Long Range Radar 2 site for the Iraqi Air Force was let in May. This is the 2nd of 4 planned long-range ground sites planned for the Sector Operations Centers of the IqAF, and seems nearly certain to be a member of the AN/FPS-117 family.
Iraq will probably buy Czech L-159s for its armed jet trainer program. While this purchase is not yet approved by the Council of Ministers, the Czech aircraft are not as expensive as the competing offers from South Korea (TA-50), Italy (M-346), and the UK (Hawk LIFT). A deal was said to be close during the Czech Prime Minister’s late May 2011 visit to Iraq.
While unconfirmed by Iraqi sources, An-32 light transport deliveries may be accelerated:
“Antonov State Enterprise (Kyiv) may supply six light An-32 planes under a contract with Iraq ahead of schedule. Three out of the six aircraft have been already assembled in Ukraine but haven’t been accepted by Iraqi side yet, Director of Antonov Serial Plant Mykola Podhrebelny told reporter. According to him, immediately after the enterprise receives the money for the first planes, they will start assembling the three remaining and may transfer them before 2012, which is a deadline set in the contract.”
Of note, this is not the first time that the Ukrainian provider has tried to deliver these An32s. The Iraqi inspection team rejected these same 3 aircraft in the fall of 2010, when they discovered used avionics and engines had been used in violation of the contract.
Helicopters for the Army Air Corps continue to arrive. Iraqi and American officials celebrated the delivery of 2 more Mi-171E helicopters, marking the 9th and 10th Mi-171E helicopter aircraft to arrive from a 14-aircraft order. Two additional M-171Es were delivered to the base at the end of April 2011. In total, the Iraqi Army Aviation Command currently has 16 Mi-17 (legacy model Mi-171s) and 18 Mi-171E helicopters in its inventory. The remaining 4 Mi-171E helicopters are scheduled to be delivered before this fall.
2 Eurocopter EC635-T2s are reported to have arrived (Arabic post, since removed) in Iraq.
The helicopters are said to be integrated with South African Ingwe anti-tank missiles, alongside the other EC635 SAWS options of French Nexter NC-621 20mm cannon pods, and Belgian HerstalHMP-400 12.7mm machine gun pods. Any readers wondering whether all 3 countries were staunchly opposed to the removal of Saddam Hussein… the answer is yes.
Denel Dynamics’ Ingwe is a beam riding laser guided anti-tank missile, which gives it less attack flexibility than a semi-active radar homing missile like Lockheed Martin’s Hellfire or MBDA’s Brimstone. Denel Dynamics and Rheinmetall Denel Munitions are working on other Ingwe warheads, to broaden its use against a wider array of targets.
Eurocopter and South Africa’s Advanced Technologies & Engineering (ATE) flight tested the NC-621 and HMP-400 gun pods on EC635s in late 2010, as part a Stand Alone Weapon System (SAWS) package for use on a variety of helicopters, including light scout and utility machines. Denel had also targeted the EC635 platform for Ingwe missile integration, alongside Eurocopter’s A550 Fennec, and Ingwe is part of the SAWS standard kit.
Iraqi Navy and Marines
No updates this month.
Ministry of Interior
Baghdad
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Iraq has requested a possible FMS sale of 750 50-Watt Vehicular Multiband Handheld Radio Systems, 900 5-watt Multiband Handheld Radio Systems, 50 50-watt Multiband Handheld Base Station Radio Systems, 50 20-watt High Frequency (HF) Base Station Radio Systems, and 100 5-watt Secure Personal Role Handheld Radio Systems for the Iraqi Federal Police Force.
This is part of the retraining, re-equipping, and re-designation program transferring the provincial Emergency Police to the Federal Police.
The 1st Mechanized Brigade, 4th Iraqi Federal Police Division, was reported in south Baghdad. There has been reported only one 1st Mechanized FP Brigade. This brigade was previously attached to the 2nd FP Division.
Elements of the 4th FP Division continue to be reported in south Baghdad despite its planned assumption of control of southern Iraqi provinces. These elements are probably undergoing field training in preparation for redeployment to the south. That redeployment may or may not include the mech.
