Brig. Gen. Stephen L. Hoog, U.S. Central Command's air component director, gives high marks to the recently formed Iraqi Air Force. Using a fleet of Bell 206 Helicopters, C-130s, and small prop airplanes, the Iraqi Air Force has logged more than 650 flight hours in more than 450 sorties since March. The sorties have included surveillance and reconnaissance missions, transport of more than 6,000 Iraqi and coalition troops, and movement of 460 tons of cargo.
The Iraqi Air Force's primary intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems are Seeker SB7L-360 light surveillance aircraft and CH-2000 tactical surveillance aircraft.
The Air Force Association quoted Hoog as saying,
… by January … the Iraqi Air Force will receive the first of 16 upgraded UH-1H Hueys for moving troops and casualty evacuation missions, as well as 10 Russian-built Mi-17s with an initial cadre of trained pilots to help troop movements of Iraqi forces.
Follow-on training, assisted by USAF, will start in spring 2007. The goal is to have more than 2,500 trained Iraqi Air Force personnel ready for duty by the end of next year.