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ITAM-Air advisors aid weapons delivery to Iraqi partners, bolster internal security

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jason Lake
  • 321st Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
CAMP TAJI --  Iraqi and American weapons crews and pilots completed a $250,000 weapons delivery mission from Sather Air Base to Taji's airfield March 14.

A half dozen Airmen assigned to the 721st Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron at Taji accompanied their Iraqi Army Aviation Command partners to accept delivery of nearly 30 American M240 machine guns purchased by the Iraqi Ministry of Defense.

"This weapons deal is a significant step toward increasing Iraq's internal security and national defense," explained Maj. Claudio Covacci, 721st AEAS maintenance officer who led a team of American advisors that flew into Baghdad aboard a pair of Mi-171E helicopters piloted by Americans and Iraqis. "The mission went very well due to the cooperative efforts between the U.S. Air Force and Iraqi Army Aviation Command. It's an excellent example of the strategic partnership between the people of Iraq and the United States."

In the last year, the IqAAC Mi-17 and Mi-171E helicopter fleet has grown from 16 to 30. Eight more Mi-171E helicopters purchased from European manufacturers are expected to be delivered by this fall. Initially, the new helicopters have no defensive weapon systems when they arrive at Taji.

Iraq Training and Advisory Mission - Air advisors suggested installing M240 machine guns for aerial gunners to use along the side doors of the aircraft and helped the Iraqi government purchase the weapons.

Tech. Sgts. Kevin Cantrell, who is deployed from Langley Air Force Base and hails from Mobile, Ala., and Bryan Felix are ITAM-Air ammunitions and aircraft armament systems experts who have advised their Iraqi counterparts at Taji for nearly 12 months.

The two led the effort last summer to install prototype mounts for the American weapons being tested by contractors aboard the Russian-made helicopters. Once the contractors certified the M240 for use aboard the helicopters, Sergeant Cantrell and Sergeant Felix began training the Iraqis how to maintain a set of weapons loaned by the U.S. Army until the shipment arrived this week.

"We've been getting the Iraqis trained on M240 maintenance, inspections and loading them onto aircraft," said Sergeant Felix, who is deployed from Hill Air Force Base, Utah. "As a result, we've nearly doubled helicopter flight operations in the past few months."

Sergeant Felix said the Mi-171 helicopters do not fly outside the wire without defensive weapon systems, so the priority is to mount the new M240 weapons to get more aircraft fully operational.

On March 17, Sergeant Felix and his Iraqi coworkers unpacked the new M240 weapons and spoke with the IqAAC director of armament and supply, who was visiting from Baghdad, about how to store and clean the new weapons.

Staff Sgt. Marcus Smith, who is deployed from Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, and Sergeant Felix plan to assist their Iraqi counterparts installing the new M240s so IqAAC has the ability to employ its entire Mi-171 fleet as multi-mission helicopters.

"Eventually all the Mi-171s here will have M240s installed on them," said Sergeant Felix, an Evansburg, Pa., native. "This will allow the Iraqis to conduct more ground and air operations."

As the IqAAC's most versatile aircraft, the Mi-171 helicopters - armed with the new M240 weapons - play a crucial role in both day-to-day operations and providing security during major exercises, religious holidays and diplomatic events such as the Arab League Summit scheduled to be held in Baghdad this May.

"Taji's Mi-171s have reached a critical milestone toward fulfilling all performance and operational requirements necessary to execute its full-spectrum of air operations," said Major Covacci, who is deployed from Hill AFB, Utah, and hails from New York City.