The spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, Lieutenant General Yahya Rasool, confirmed today, Friday, that completing the development of air defense capabilities is the main priority in the arming plans and military capacity development, in accordance with the directives of the Prime Minister, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ali Faleh Al-Zaydi. He pointed out that the ministry is working on enhancing the capabilities of various branches of the armed forces according to well-studied plans.
Rasool said in a press interview that "arming and capacity building are top priorities across all military branches," noting that "the Ministry of Defense has established plans to complete the air defense capabilities, the air force, and army aviation, as well as other branches and reconnaissance areas."
He added that "the ministry is working on implementing these plans and has technical committees that visited several advanced countries to observe their capabilities and expertise in the field of arming and to conduct necessary assessments to determine the suitable options for the needs of the Iraqi armed forces."
He clarified that "the priority directed by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces is the completion of building air defense capabilities," stressing that "the ministry continues to work in this direction by studying the available options and selecting the appropriate weapons to enhance these capabilities."
He indicated that "the technical committees will continue their work in evaluating capabilities and weapons, in preparation for making decisions regarding the completion of capacity building or contracting for armament systems," noting that "the ministry will officially announce the details of contracts or the import of weapons or their arrival in Iraq upon completing the necessary procedures."
Rasool confirmed that "the plans of the Ministry of Defense cover various military fields, primarily air defense, the air force, army aviation, and reconnaissance," indicating that "work continues to complete capacity building in these sectors according to a clear vision and pre-prepared plans."
He pointed out that "Minister of Defense Naif Al-Shammari, who has gained the confidence of the House of Representatives, has taken the lead in the ministry," indicating that "the minister, being a military officer, is also moving towards completing military capacity building and developing the capabilities of the defense institution."