MOSCOW, July 30 (RIA Novosti) - The United States is planning to sell 5,000 AGM-114K/N/R Hellfire missiles worth $700 million to Iraq to help it fight Sunni Islamic State militants, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a statement.
“Iraq will use the Hellfire missiles to help improve the Iraq Security Forces’ capability to support current ongoing ground operations. Iraq will also use this capability in future contingency operations. Iraq, which already has Hellfire missiles, will have no difficulty absorbing these additional missiles into its armed forces,” the statement said.
The deal includes associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support and “will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a strategic partner,” while it also “directly supports the Government of Iraq and serves the interests of the people of Iraq and the United States,” according to the statement.
The deal was approved by the US State Department and will go to Congress. Lawmakers are not expected to block the sale of weapons.
In July, the US delivered at least 466 Hellfire missiles to Iraq, bringing the total number of the missiles delivered this year to 780, with another 366 missiles to be delivered in August.
According to Pentagon press secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby, Iraq is the benefactor of one of the highest foreign military sales programs the United States has with any country. He also noted that the US has 715 troops in Iraq defending US property and citizens, and providing security assistance.
“And, oh, by the way, we're still flying an intensified program of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance flights, manned and unmanned, over the country, information from which is being shared with Iraqi security forces as appropriate," Kirby added in Department of Defense press release.
The Islamic State is a Sunni militant organization that has been fighting in Syria against the government of President Bashar Assad, and in June started a large-scale offensive against Iraq’s Shiite government led by Nouri Maliki. It took over large parts of Iraq with the goal of seizing Baghdad. Last month, IS militants announced the establishment of a caliphate on Iraq-Syria border. The Islamist caliphate includes regions with Christians and other religious minorities.
