Earlier, Baghdad had frozen plans to buy 18 advanced US F-16 fighters after the Arab Spring protests in the region turned its attention to internal stability.
Iraq has reportedly started negotiations to buy US fighter jets and air-defence systems worth billions of dollars, it has emerged.
Earlier, Baghdad had frozen plans to buy 18 advanced US F-16 fighters after the Arab Spring protests in the region turned its attention to internal stability.
Now, senior US and Iraqi officials said Iraq is considering plans to purchase 36 jets, The Wall Street Journal reports.
US officials have grown increasingly concerned about Tehran's growing influence in Iraqi politics, and any sale would require Baghdad to maintain tight security over any F-16s to prevent the transfer of sensitive US technology.
The original deal between the US and Iraq for 18 F-16s, which was clinched last fall, had a potential price of up to 4.2 billion dollars, including parts, spares, training and related weaponry.
If Iraq decides to buy a total of 36 planes, the equivalent of two squadrons, the deal could cost billions of dollars over the original amount, depending on negotiations with Lockheed Martin.
That doesn't include air-defence upgrades, which could add further billions to the bill.
Gen. Nasier Abadi, deputy chief of staff at Iraq's Ministry of Defense, said the squadrons, once delivered, would be based at two places in country, the paper said.
Iraq is looking at the Balad air base in Salahaddin Province north of Baghdad and the Ali air base in Nassiriya, Dhi Qar Province, in southern Iraq.
In the first stage of the proposed deal, Iraq would buy one squadron in two installments, Iraqi officials said.
A second stage would include the second squadron, ground support, radar and other air-defense systems.
The US Congress has already signed off on the initial 18 F-16s, but would need to approve any additional major purchases, the paper said.
In addition to the F-16s, Iraq is requesting ground-based air defense systems including ground-to-air missiles and large guns that would be tied to a radar and integrated command-and-control system.
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