The Iraqi Air Force received 15 T-6A Texan II turboprop trainer aircraft in 2009 that apparently are now in storage. The US Department of Defense is hiring Textron Aviation to bring them back to flight status.

The US Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded Textron Aviation Defense USD 8.8 million to return the IqAF’s 15 turboprop trainer aircraft to flight status, in anticipation of pilot training for the Lockheed Martin F-16IQ Fighting Falcon combat aircraft moving from the US to Iraq in 2019.

“This Foreign Military Sales Acquisition Category III programme provides the aforementioned purchase of long-lead supplies required to reconstitute the aircraft for Iraq training. The work provided for under this [undefinitised contract action] must be in place to start training the Iraq T-6A fleet no later than the second quarter of 2018 in order to meet critical F-16 pilot demand in 2019. Work will be performed at [Imam Ali] Air Base, Iraq,” the DoD contract notification said. – Jane’s 360

According to a 2013 US Special Inspector General report the Texan II aircraft were getting holes in the wings caused by debris on the runways so the decision was made to place them in storage to prevent further damage.

Featured image by US Navy