Iraq agrees on deal to buy 14 Airbus military helicopters

AFP | Baghdad, Iraq

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Iraq reached an agreement on Thursday to purchase 14 military helicopters, including a dozen H225M multi-role combat aircraft, from European aviation giant Airbus. Defence Minister Thabet al-Abbassi attended the signing ceremony for the deal in Baghdad alongside the French ambassador to Iraq, Patrick Durel, and a representative of Airbus Helicopters, an AFP journalist reported.

Arnaud Montalvo, head of Airbus Helicopters for the Middle Easwt, said the agreement was for 12 H225M helicopters to be delivered starting in early 2025. The value of the deal was not disclosed. The French embassy in Baghdad told AFP the deal was for 14 helicopters in total, including the 12 H225Ms. Durel said the agreement stemmed from "exchanges and discussions" between French President Emmanuel Macron and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.

The H225M, known as the "Caracal" in French military service, is the latest evolution of the Puma helicopter family and can be used for search and rescue operations, transport, assault missions and special forces insertion. Baghdad is now seeking to end the coalition's mission and replace it with bilateral military partnerships with other countries, saying its forces can lead the fight against the weakened IS group.