Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq is looking to fast-track the purchase of modern air defense systems to strengthen its ability to protect its airspace, Defense Ministry spokesman Yahya Rasool told Shafaq News on Thursday.

Rasool said the government had directed officials to shorten the timeline for purchasing air defense systems and allocate the necessary funds. “We hope in the coming days to begin contracting and move toward receiving modern systems.”

Iraqi lawmakers have earlier called for separate funding for the country’s air defense forces and air force instead of relying on the Defense Ministry’s regular budget. MP Karim Alaywi al-Muhammadawi, a member of the parliamentary Security and Defense Committee, told Shafaq News that the panel, during a meeting with Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, requested that funds be allocated to the Defense Ministry under the budget law to purchase advanced air defense systems from South Korea, China and Russia.

Iraq is seeking to strengthen its military capabilities as it prepares for the end of the Global Coalition’s military mission by Sept. 30. Earlier on Thursday, Sabah Al-Numan, spokesman for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, stated that the deadline had been set through continued high-level coordination by a technical security committee tasked with defining the framework for the withdrawal and ensuring Iraqi forces are fully prepared to assume security responsibilities.

Read more: Iraq's air defense void: How US vetoes, and Russian limits leave Baghdad exposed