Iraq to purchase military helicopters from Airbus

The Iraqi Defense Ministry announced on Thursday that it has signed an agreement to purchase Caracal H225M multi-role combat helicopters from European aviation giant Airbus, reported Xinhua.

Iraqi Defense Minister Thabet Mohammed al-Abbasi, French Ambassador to Iraq Patrick Durel, and a representative for Airbus Helicopters attended the signing ceremony, the ministry said in a statement.

After the ceremony, al-Abbasi said the ministry would also sign contracts with other reputable companies in the coming days to enhance the army's future capabilities, according to the statement.

The agreement came as a result of meetings and discussions between French President Emmanuel Macron and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, the statement quoted Durel as saying.

The ministry statement did not reveal the number of helicopters agreed upon, while media reports said the deal refers to the purchase of 14 military helicopters, including a dozen H225M helicopters.

The H225M helicopter, the latest addition to the Puma helicopter family, is designed for search and rescue, transport, assault missions, and special forces insertion.

Sporadic attacks still haunt Iraq despite an improvement in its overall security situation after the defeat of the extremist Islamic State group across the country in 2017.