US approves $295m Military Kit for Peshmerga

The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Republic of Iraq for equipment for two Peshmerga infantry brigades and two support artillery battalions.

The estimated cost is $295.6 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on April 18, 2017.

The Government of Iraq has requested a possible sale of the equipment necessary to fully outfit two full Peshmerga Regional Brigades of light infantry, as well as the equipment necessary to outfit two artillery battalions that will ultimately provide support to those regional brigades.

These artillery battalions and infantry brigades will operate under the Kurdistan Regional Governments Ministry of Peshmerga (KRG MOP) with the concurrence of the central government.

Requested equipment includes the following:

  • (4,400) M16A4 rifles;
  • (46) M2 50 caliber machine guns;
  • (186) M240B machine guns;
  • (36) M1151 HMMWVs (pictured);
  • (77) M1151 up-armored HMMWVs;
  • (12) 3 Kilowatt Tactical Quiet Generator sets;
  • body armor, helmets, and other Organization Clothing and Individual Equipment (OCIE);
  • small arms and associated accessories including tripods, cleaning kits, magazines, and mounts; mortar systems and associated equipment;
  • Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRNE) detection and protective equipment;
  • dismounted and mounted radio systems;
  • commercial navigation equipment including compasses, binoculars, and Geospatial Position System (GPS) limited to the Standard Positioning System (SPS);
  • M1142 HMMWVs;
  • medical equipment;
  • Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAP);
  • cargo and transportation equipment, including light tactical vehicles, medium tactical vehicles, water trucks, fuel trucks, and ambulances;
  • (36) refurbished M119A2 105mm howitzers;
  • spare parts, training and associated equipment related to the mentioned vehicles and artillery systems.

The total estimated program cost is $295.6 million.

This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States, by supporting Iraq’s capacity to degrade and defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Iraq will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces.

The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.

There are a number of contractors involved in this effort, including but not limited to AM General, Oshkosh Defense, Navistar Defense, Harris Radio, and Colt Corporation.

(Source: DSCA)

One Response to US approves $295m Military Kit for Peshmerga

  1. The observer 20th April 2017 at 22:58 #

    last time USa delivered 42000 anti tank shoulder mounted anti tank guns to PDK , they hide it in stores in caves in the mountains < PUK forces complained to USA ambassador that not a single gun was delivered to them , so night vision equipment and more advanced thermal image rs , high ranking PDK and governing family members took them from the arsenal and sold them in local market , so the the German delivered guns were sold on local market , German ambassador complained to peshmerga chief , but the answer was poor , peshmerga sold few as they were not paid salaries for long time , actually high ranking peshmerga sold hundreds of such g3 guns and more advanced types on local market, and market is still full of them , anyone in ERBIL can purchase G3 for 2200 USD , but the night vision and thermal imagers were sold for much higher prices to IRANIANS, certainly no heavy trucks shall be sold on local market , but M16 rifles and others easily funneled to Iran , and everyone knew who sells them in large quantities .