Maintenance contract for Iraqi T-50IQ
On 8 November 2021, South Korea's aircraft manufacturer Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) declared that it has received a USD 360 million repair and maintenance deal for the Iraqi Air Force (IqAF) KAI T-50IQ Golden Eagle advanced trainer jets.
In the three-year deal signed with the Iraqi defense ministry, KAI will provide repair and maintenance services for the T-50IQ jets operated by the IqAF 204th Training Squadron as well as training programmes for pilots and engineers.
In December 2013, KAI signed an export contract for 24 T-50IQs with Iraq. The first deliveries were accomplished in 2017. All aircraft were part of the US Naval Air Systems Command Foreign Military Sales (FMS) budget and have been assigned US FMS serials.
From the 24 aircraft delivered, Scramble Magazine only has knowledge of the first eight FMS serials. If you have more information, please send them to
Since their delivery, the jets have hardly ever flown and a major part of the Golden Eagle fleet has literally been baking in the Iraqi sun at the military side of Baghdad International Airport also known as Al Muthanna or Mohammed Alaa air base. A small number is stored in a hangar at Basrah al-Shaibah air base. The aircraft have not flown because a maintenance contract was not present when they were delivered and it is to be expected that they require quite some TLC (Time, Labour and Control) before they can take to the skies again in a safe manner.
South Korea is also the main contractor of the construction work that is taking place at As Suwayrah air base that will become the headquarters of the Iraqi Air Force College, once the works have finished. It will therefore also house the T-50IQ trainers eventually. As part of the refurbishments to the air base, 24 sunsheds are built, a new air traffic control tower is built, and refurbishment of 13 of the existing Hardened Aircraft Shelters (HAS) on the southside of the airfield has been executed. The main runway 30L/12R was re-paved.
The works are still in progress and in late October, Iraqi minister of defence Lieutenant General Juma Inad Saadoun Al-Jubouri visited the construction works on the air base that is located some 50km southeast of Baghdad. It was said that the works are finished for approximately 70% but the project has been plagued by delays due to overdue payments by the Iraqi government, so it remains to be seen when the move of the Air Force College assets from Balad and Muthanna will take place.
Photos by Iraqi Ministry of Defence / Satellite picture: Apple Maps