Iraqi personnel have carried out all maintenance on the country’s F-16 aircraft since 2025, Defence Ministry spokesperson Major General Yahya Rasool told Shafaq News on 4 October.
Rasool said Iraqis also handle aircraft operations, fuel provision and pilot training. He attributed the capability to training in the United States and in Iraq with specialist companies, adding that some personnel can now train others.
The aircraft manufacturer remains needed for spare parts, he said. The claim therefore concerns personnel and support work; it does not mean the aircraft programme has become independent of external supply.
The workforce has a documented training history. A US Air Force account published in February 2019 recorded the qualification of ten Iraqi F-16 maintenance technicians the previous month, while describing continuing contractor support at that time.
That earlier milestone helps explain the capability-building process, but it does not verify the ministry’s current claim. The Shafaq report provides no independent maintenance audit or fleet-readiness measure.