Iraqi Security Forces Order of Battle Update: January 2009

Iraqi and Coalition forces Order of Battle as of December 31, 2008.

The January 2009 updates to the Iraqi Security Forces Order of Battle are now available at the ISF OOB homepage. The significant changes to the Order of Battle that occurred in December are summarized below.

Iraqi Air Force.

The Iraqi Air Force continues to increase its training and reconnaissance elements. The Iraqi 2nd Squadron received five more Jet Rangers on December 4. The 2nd Squadron is transferring from Taji and consolidating at Kirkuk by the end of January. The 2nd Squadron was the Huey II equipped search and rescue squadron and the 12th Squadron was the Jet Ranger equipped training squadron. This indicates that the 12th and 2nd have been combined into the new 2nd Training Squadron, probably equipped with 10 Jet Ranger and 16 Huey II helicopters.

The 3rd Reconnaissance Squadron at Kirkuk is getting three more Cessna C208 Caravan intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft soon. This will double the number of Caravans assigned to the 3rd Reconnaissance Squadron.

Also, a new squadron has been reported. The 87th Composit Squadron at Al Muthanna has been reported for the first time. The 87th Squadron is equipped with King Air 350 ISR and King Air 350 light transport aircraft.

Iraqi Arms Purchases.

Major possible Foreign Materials Sales (FMS) for the Iraqi Security Forces were announced and addressed separately. However, there was an error in one of the FMS notices concerning armored personnel carriers. The possible sale of 400 M1117 armored security vehicles and 400 M1126 Stryker Armored Personnel Carriers is not for the Iraqi Police, the vehicles are for the Iraqi Army. The Iraqi Ministry of Defense is holding a competition between the LAV-25, M1126, M1117, and an unidentified Romanian vehicle for equipping the Iraqi Army with armored personnel carriers. Interest in the M1117 for this role is fading. The possible order of 400 M1117s and 400 M1126s, plus the 398 LAVs previously identified represent competing possible orders from the contenders.

The Government of Iraq's first order of 140 advanced M1A1 Abrams Integrated Management Situational Awareness tanks is scheduled to arrive in the fall of 2010.

Iraqi Army Force Developments.

Training and orientation on the M1A1 tank is completing. Personnel selected from the Armor School instructors and 9th Armor Division will then participate in a three-month train-the-trainer course at Besmaya. The graduates will be instructors for the remaining crews prior to the arrival of their own M1A1 tanks. This allows the acceleration of the fielding of the Iraqi Army's new armor regiments. As mentioned above, the tanks start to arrive in the fall of 2010.

On Nov. 30, the Iraqi Army 12th Infantry Division's Headquarters Support Company, 47th Infantry Brigade, and 48th Infantry Brigade graduated Unit Set Fielding in Kirkuk. This is the official commissioning of the 12th Infantry Division and two of its three existing brigades.

Supply and support elements continue to improve, expand, and form. On Dec. 4, the Colonel Adnan Distribution Center, Taji National Support Depot opened. The Iraqi Army's General Transportation Regiment (GTR) conducted its sixth mission. The GTR picked up 10 T-72s and 10 BMP-1, and delivered them to the Taji Repair Depot. The GTR is ahead of its development schedule by six months. On Dec. 14, the Bayji National Ammunition Depot became independent. The depot supports the northern Iraqi Army divisions.

Iraqi Ministry of Interior Forces.

Advanced training of Iraqi National Police continues. On Dec. 2, the 1st Battalion, Knight's Ride Brigade, 3rd Iraqi National Police Division graduated Phase III Carabinarie training at Camp Dublin. The seventh battalion, the 1-6/2 INP Battalion, started Phase III on Dec. 13. In the next class in 2009, they start training two battalions at a time (900 personnel).

A new battalion for the 3rd Brigade, 3rd INP Division is being recruited from Mosul. The plan is for 1500 recruits to fill out the existing battalions as well as adding a new battalion.

The Ministry of Interior is expanding its support elements. They are building additional fuel distribution points and regional maintenance facilities. The next step will be a regionalization of the national police. "The objective is a national police brigade or battalion in each province."

Also, "in the near future protection of (the American Embassy) will be the responsibility of the Iraqi National Police and the movement of political missions will be under the Iraqi protection of the national police forces." The Iraqi National Police also will work with the Ministry of Interior to create a protection force for the Green Zone. The Central Bank in Baghdad will get a battalion of about 500 to 600 officers. At least one National Police brigade will be stationed in each of Iraq's provinces. [The Baghdad International Zone transferred to the "Baghdad Brigade" on Jan. 1.]

The Iraqi National Emergency Response Brigade continues selection and training for its expansion. NERB instructors initiated the 20th operator selection course on Dec. 20 in order to meet its growing needs as a newly established brigade. "The primary goal for this class is to increase numbers [of personnel] in the SWAT units at Mosul and Tikrit, which have the lowest numbers in the Brigade," said an ERB adviser. "The secondary goal is to bring personnel numbers at the Brigade’s 1st Battalion in Baghdad to 100 percent and increase numbers in its support battalion, also in Baghdad."

A new Emergency Response Unit is forming in Jisr Diyala and the Karbala National Emergency Response Brigade is receiving HMMWVs. Also, a new agency will be created to secure archaeological sites. A similar directorate has already been established to protect embassies and diplomatic missions.