Iraqi authorities have approved a contract to buy Russian weapons worth US$ 4.2 billion. The authorization is to come into effect shortly, and deliveries are to begin as early as this year. This is the largest deal to buy armaments from sources other than the US-led coalition for post-war Iraq. Deliveries under this agreement would create a counterbalance to the influence of US allies in the region: Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
Deputy Speaker of the Iraqi National Assembly Arif Tayfur (representing the Kurdistan Democratic Party) announced the signing of the deal on March 27. The politician’s announcement was published on the Iraqi National Assembly website, Vedomosti reports. The Russian business newspaper also says, citing AlmadaPress Iraqi newswire, that the agreement was signed in Moscow the previous Monday, March 25.
The preliminary agreements to sell US$ 4.2 billion of Russian weapons to Iraq were signed during Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s state visit to Moscow in October 2012. The agreements covered 48 Pantsir-S air missile-and-AA gun air defense systems and 36 Mil Mi-28NE attack helicopters. However, the deal was put on hold on suspicions of corruption. General Director of Rosoboronexport Anatoly Isaikin told the media in Februaru 2013 that agreement revocation was not on the table, but rather that it was awaiting approval by the National Assembly of Iraq.
Work on the contract resumed after March 7, when the Iraqi 2013 budget was finally approved (budget approval in October got derailed on strong disagreements between Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds).
Accusations of corruption tainting the contract may be lifted after the number of Mi-28 helicopters was increased by four aircraft while keeping the total contract price unchanged.
