109th Squadron (Iraq)
The 109th Attack Squadron is an Iraqi Air Force ground-attack squadron. It operates the Sukhoi Su-25 from Al Rasheed Air Base.[2]
| 109th Attack Squadron | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1978-2003[1] 2015-current |
| Country | Iraq |
| Branch | Iraqi Air Force |
| Role | Ground attack |
| Base | Al Rasheed Air Base |
| Insignia | |
| Fin Flash |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | Sukhoi Su-25 |
Pre-2003 era
No. 109 Squadron was established in 1978.[3] It was equipped with Sukhoi Su-22s,[4] and was based at Wahda AB near Basra.[3] No. 109 Squadron's pilots became the first in Iraq to receive dedicated training for anti-ship attacks.[5]
The squadron participated in the three waves of Iraqi air strikes on Iran on the first day of the Iran-Iraq War. It did not lose any aircraft on that day.[6]
Post-2003 era
On 2 April 2015, the Iraqi Ministry of Defence confirmed that the 109th Attack Squadron had been formed at Rasheed Air Base to operate the Sukhoi Su-25s the country received from Russia and Iran. The first of these aircraft had arrived in Iraq on 28 June 2014.[7]
References
Notes
- Sipos & Cooper 2022, pp. 53, X
- AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. May 2015. p. 26.
- Sipos & Cooper 2022, p. 53
- Sipos & Cooper 2022, p. 30
- Sipos & Cooper 2022, p. 49
- Sipos & Cooper 2022, pp. 59, 63, 66
- Delalande 2016, p. 24
Bibliography
Further reading
- Iraqi Fighters: 1953-2003: Camouflage and markings by Ahmad Sadik and Tom Cooper, published in 2008 by Harpia Publishing, ISBN 978-0-6152141-4-6