Iraqi Army Aviation Command
قيادة طيران الجيش العراقي
Active	26 June 1980; 43 years ago (1980-06-26)
Country	Iraq
Type	Army Aviation
Role	Tactical, Logistic and support Ground units
Part of	Iraqi Armed Forces
Command Headquarters	Baghdad
Equipment	Helicopters UAVs
Engagements	Iran–Iraq War Iraqi invasion of Iran Gulf War Iraqi invasion of Kuwait 2003 US invasion of Iraq Iraq War War in Iraq (2013–2017) 2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict Syrian Civil War
Commanders
Commander-in-Chief of Army Aviation	Lieutenant general P.S.C. Samir Zaki Hussein
Insignia
Country Flag

The Iraqi Army Aviation Command is one of the formations of the Iraqi Armed Forces, founded in 1980.^[1] It commands the helicopter class as well as the class of Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAVs). It is a completely separate force from the Iraqi Air Force, currently led by the Lieutenant General Samir Zaki.^[2] It has had vital and impactful roles in most of the Iraqi army's wars after its establishment such as during the first Iran–Iraq War, the Gulf War and its role in the War on terror in Iraq in supporting ground forces, providing air cover in battles and targeting terrorist movements. It reached its maximum capacity at the end of the first Gulf War, when the commanding cadres consisted of nearly 900 helicopters.

History

Origination Of Aviation Command

The Iraqi Army Aviation Command was formed after a split from the Iraqi Air Force in 1980.^{[citation needed]}

The 1990s

After Iraq's military was destroyed in the Gulf War, and the Army Aviation Command lost much of its equipment in military operations. After the war, Iraq was unable to rebuild to its previous state of military power as a result of the United Nations' decision to blockade Iraq.

After 2003

After the United States and its allies invaded Iraq in 2003 and the civil administrator Paul Bremer, decided to dissolve and rehabilitate the Iraqi army. The Army Aviation Command was dissolved and most of the military, logistical equipment and infrastructure was dismantled. The United States then aided in the reconstruction of the Army Aviation Command and supplied it with the necessary military equipment, logistics and rehabilitation of army bases and airports.^{[citation needed]}

Organization

Command

Army Aviation Command Headquarters: Baghdad

Academies and training centers

Army Aviation College

The College of Aviation is one of the formations of the Army Aviation Command. The college habilitates, prepares and trains pilots in various specialized and military theory and skills, including navigation, flight theories, air conditioning, the English language, communications and various military lessons in order to prepare them to work in all squadrons and air bases and to continue performing their tasks in combating terrorism and defending Iraq. The college consists of five wings: Aviation, Teaching, Technical, Administration, supplies and Military Training.

Bases and airports

The Army Aviation Command uses military bases and airports scattered throughout Iraq.

Personnel

Army Aviation Command Commanders

Ranks

The ranks of the army aviation force are the same as the standard armed forces ranks. Because the army's flight force is derived from the air force, it inherited the ranks of the air force and comes with epaulets of sky-blue color and below the epaulettes are two wings of an eagle (indicating the pilots). Technical officers, engineers and ground crews have the same rank form with the wings of an eagle. The wings of the eagle are on the red stripe in the case of the staff officer, the epaulettes used to be the olive drab or khaki of the Army but with wings.

Officers

lieutenant pilot	First L. pilot	Captain pilot	Major pilot	L. colonel pilot	Colonel pilot	Brigadier General pilot	Major general pilot	L. general pilot	General pilot

Soldiers and Warrant officers

Soldiers and warrant officers in Army Aviation Command constitute are the ground crew, responsible for set and preparation of the aircraft on the flight line as well as ground guidance. they are not flying the aircraft, so the epaulette have no eagle's wings. The soldier's uniform does not contain epaulettes.

Soldir	1stSoldir	Sergeant	Corporal	Chief S.

Equipment

Helicopters

This force reached its peak power at the end of the first Gulf War, when the commanding cadres numbered nearly 900 different helicopters. The armament of the Iraqi army was generally from the eastern bloc. As a result of the policies followed by the Iraqi state, most of the helicopters were Soviet. After 2003 the United States armed the Iraqi army aviation with American and Western helicopters.

In October 2012, it was reported that Iraq had signed a contract with Russia to purchase weapons, including approximately 30 Mil Mi-28 helicopters.^[3] The agreement was confirmed on October 9.^{[citation needed]} Part of the deal was later canceled due to the Iraqi parliament's condemnation of the deal on suspicion of corruption, but the Iraqi Defense Minister stated that "the deal will go ahead".^[4] The contract was already signed and included the Mil Mi-28NE helicopters, and deliveries began in September 2013. Another 10 aircraft of the same model were delivered in January 2014.

The Army Aviation currently owns 175 operational helicopters, including 15 attack helicopters, out of 300 purchased, including 67-114 heavy attack helicopters (it is scheduled to reach 500 helicopters), as follows:

name	image	origin	type	number[5]	notes
Helecopter/Aircraft
bell 206		United States	multi role helecopter	10
bell 407		United States	multi role helicopter and training	27 3
Bell OH-58 Kiowa		United States	Training	8
Eurocopter EC635		France	Light attack	24
Bell UH-1 Iroquois		United States	Multi purpose	15
Mil mi-8		Soviet Union	Transport	Unknown
Mil mi-17		Soviet Union	Multi purpose	22
Mil mi-24		Soviet Union	Attack	15
mil mi-35		Russia	Multi purpose	18
Mil mi-28		Russia Soviet Union	attack	14	called Night hunter in the aviation command

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

Iraq has contracted for 14 CH-4 medium-altitude and long-range (M.A.L.E.) UAV from  China, used for reconnaissance and treating targets using precision-guided missiles.

Losses of helicopters destroyed during the fight against ISIS

Helicopters	origin	downed/ destroyed
bell 407	United States	1
Mil mi-17	Soviet Union	1
Mil mi-28	Soviet Union	1
mil mi-35 m	Russia	1
Total		4