SAAB say they have completed the design work for Sea Gripen they say it will have the same engine – sensors and avionics fit as the E/F will cost $4000 per flight hour including fuel and can be operated for 30-40 years dependent on mission rates

Now if this is right and its on their site this would make Gripen the only modern type other than F-35B that could operate from the Brazilian carrier which in turn would make Gripen E/F a very good move for the air force due to common parts

as said some time ago I think they should buy 50 Gripens now add to this 20 Sea Gripens and as part of the deal look to join SAAB and Turkey on a 5.5 gen type

I know this may be a bit off-topic but what is with the Victor’s door? It looks a bit over-engineered to me.

Rear crew did not have ejection seats and the door helped them get out in flight

I have to say 30 or so refurbished Mig-31’s to E+ standard could work. Iraq can not trust that US will not pull support for the F-16’s or allow them to fight when needed however the F-16 is a good type as a point defence fighter and here to stay so with this in mind I think a good mix would be

30 Mig-31’s 2 Squadrons of 12 + 6 in deep maintenance with a aim of having 20 on duty each day

50 SU-30’s 3 Squadron of 12 an OCU of 8 + 6 in deep maintenance with a aim of having 37 on duty each day

50 F-16 3 Squadron of 12 an OCU of 8 + 6 in deep maintenance with a aim of having 37 on duty each day

possible look at having 50 J-10B’s same split

Each type would have a home base with a Simulator and maintenance-Logistics units. Each base would have a squadron on detachment at all times to a forward base with maintenance and logistics support. I would also like to see a AEW&C Type in the mix’s

with this set up it would give the air force 94 duty air-frames a day and if J-10B was added 131 duty air-frames a day

Yep the key here is if they go for Su-30 then buy J-10 make sure they run the same engine this could be better for China as they could build the air-frames and fit the avionics around the Russian AL-31 for export and keep the WS-10B for its own program I see this as a win win

the same goes for the Mig-35 JF-17 option

The Mig-35 would be a good type however the SU-30 would be a better bet it is around in good numbers has a clear development path in both Russia and China this said if Iraq did go for Mig-35 and then JF-17 then they could have two types with one engine type

Now that Iraq has gone for F-16 it will need to think about tankers unless they use them in the point defence role only anyone who has used F-16 in the strike role has had to have tanker support the US operating out of Turkey in 2003 where topping up before and after strikes in Iraq for me they should stick at 36 F-16’s and look to buy 30 SU-30’s for the long-range interceptor – strike role add to this 60 Jf-17’s as a low cost multiplier able to undertake basic CAS and point defences tasks and if they want more than JF-17 then go for Grippen E

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an A-10