Iraqi Security Forces Order of Battle 2010 09/10
(click to view full)
DJ Elliott is a retired USN Intelligence Specialist (22 years active duty) who has been analyzing and writing on Iraqi Security Forces developments since 2006. His Iraqi Security Forces Order of Battle is an open-source compilation that attempts to map and detail Iraqi units and equipment, as their military branches and internal security forces grow and mature. While “good enough for government use” is not usually uttered as a compliment, US Army TRADOC has maintained permission to use the ISF OOB for their unclassified handouts since 2008.
This compilation is reproduced here with full permission. It offers a set of updates highlighting recent changes in the ISF’s composition and development, followed by the full updated ISF OOBs in PDF format. Reader feedback and tips are encouraged. This month’s developments include:
This Iraqi Security Force (ISF) update provides a summary of changes to the ISF during August and September 2010. The Iraqi Security Force Order of Battle is updated as of Sept 30/10.
The June 2010 quarterly report to the US Congress “Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq,” and the conversion of Iraqi heavy brigades to a modified US Army modular structure were summarized in separate articles, and will not be addressed here.
Highlights in this update include:
- Peshmerga graduate IA Engineer School; Zerevani Federal Police getting HMMWV maintenance training; Iraqi Army training.
- Lasta95s; Mi17s; Iraqi AF College restarts; 18 F16s to be ordered; AN32 delivering; 3 more T-6As arrive; Russians claim negotiations on air defense equipment.
- M1A1s delivered (1st and 2nd batches). 80 M1117s contracted for; IA training on BTR4s in Ukraine; order for 440 M113A2s.
- Carabinarie training graduation; DBE Region V restructuring? New Operations Center in Kirkuk. 9th Division moving to Besmaya? Maintenance training course on M1A1s identified. Initial brigade receiving training on BTR4s identified. 37/9 Brigade upgrading to tanks. 16/4 Brigade converting to modular?
- Ministry of Interior concentrating on EOD.
- PB301 arrives; simulators for OSVs being purchased.
Peshmerga
(click to view full)
Integration and training of Peshmerga into the ISF continues. The Iraqi Army is training and integrating 4 Kurdish Regional Guards Brigades (1 division equivalent). The 1st Regional Guards Brigade is being trained at Kirkuk and Sulaymaniyah. Zerevani Police continue to be trained by the Federal Police and NATO Training Mission-Iraq at Camp Dublin.
The Iraqi Ministry of Defense and Kurdish Regional concluded a deal to provide the Peshmerga with Iraqi Army training this summer. The 1st battalion of the Kurdish Regional Border Guards started training in August.
The 1st Battalion of the 1st Regional Guards Brigade is in IA basic training at Sulaymaniyah Training Center. Zerevani Peshmerga Police have been training with Federal Police since late-2009.
There are also Peshmerga receiving maintenance training. “…more than 80 soldiers in the Kurdish Regional Guard Brigade began training to perform preventive maintenance checks and services on the Iraqi International Troop Carrier Truck.” These units may “officially” transfer to Iraqi Army after training.
Thirty-three Kurdish Army Soldiers graduated from the Iraq Army Engineer School at Camp Taji on 15 September.
“As part of an introduction to the Iraqi Army, the Peshmerga officers and enlisted soldiers became familiar with current tactics, techniques and procedures being used by Iraqi Army engineers. The 30-day course covered the most high-profile aspects of combat engineering, including route clearance and mine identification and detection. Students learned and conducted practical exercises on mounted and dismounted route clearance, mine-detecting robots and the capabilities of the Badger, an Iraqi Light Armored Vehicle. A number of these graduates will likely return to the Engineer School at a later date to continue training in specialized engineering tasks.”
If the Kurdish Regional Guards are being trained to use this equipment then they are probably going to be issued it. An IA division normally has approximately 42 ILAV Badgers in its 14 engineering route-clearance detachments.
The Zerevani Police in the Kurdish region are also getting up-armored HMMWVs. A contract for training mechanics for the Iraqi Interior Ministry to repair HMMWVs with an estimated completion date of 15 September 2012 has been awarded. Work is to be performed in the cities of Erbil, Dahuk, and Sulaymaniyah in Iraq. The Federal Police plan to form a 6th FP Division out of the Kurdish Zerevani in the near future.
Iraqi Army
(click to view full)
The IA light brigades may be starting conversion to modular structure. According to a US Division-North press release there is a “…Commando Battalion of the 16th Iraqi Army Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division.” This could be an error referring to the commando/scout company of 16/4 Brigade but, USD-N and US Forces-Iraq have not corrected it after being asked. 16/4 Brigade has not been previously reported with a commando battalion. Iraqi Army commando battalions fill the same role as US Army cavalry [recon] battalions and US modular brigades each have a cavalry battalion. See also MT’s in-depth feature on this subject.
The 1st 11 M1A1s and 1 M88 have arrived in Iraq and been sent to Besmaya. The remaining 129 tanks and seven recovery vehicles are scheduled to be delivered on a monthly basis until about Dec 2011. This initial order is for upgrading the 9th Mechanized Division.
The 2nd batch of M1A1s arrived at Basrah. According to Al Sumaria News, 12 M1A1s were delivered to Umm Qasr in early September. Similar sized monthly deliveries are expected until all 140 of the initial order are delivered. The option to order another 140 M1A1 tanks will probably be exercised later this year.
A new M1A1 maintenance course at Besmaya has been identified. “18 graduated the Unit Maintenance New Equipment Training Course at Besmaya 10 Aug. The 63-day course is a mirror of the U.S. Army’s M1 Abrams Tank System Maintainer course that U.S. Soldiers go through in the United States.”
The FMS notice for the sale of 440 M113A2 Armored Personnel Carriers, being offered as Excess Defense Articles, has been published. This is the 1st 440 M113A2s of 1,026 M113 Family of Vehicles being offered to Iraq. These armored personnel carriers are to be used as the mechanized component of the combined arms battalions being built around the M1A1 tanks.
Based on US modular heavy brigade combat team structure, the remaining 586 M113 FOVs being offered to Iraq are probably a mix of M1063 120mm Mortar Carriers, M901 Improved TOW Vehicles, M113 Ambulances, M806 Repair and Recovery Vehicles, and M548 Cargo Carriers. Also possible, but unlikely, options include the M125 81mm Mortar Carrier (The IA is probably going with all M1063s) and M577 Command Vehicles (The excess BTR-4K Command and BTR-4Ksh Staff vehicles ordered make this doubtfull).
(click to view full)
Tanks have been transferred into 9th Mechanized Division’s 37th Light Mechanized Brigade, beginning the conversion into a heavy brigade. A photograph of 37th Brigade’s new tanks has been acquired showing former 34th Mechanized Brigade’s T-55 and T-72s. The T-55s have 6-37/9 Battalion markings and appear to have been recently refurbished. The markings in the refurbished T-72s are not visible but, probably belong to the 5-37/9 Battalion. The scene in the photo looks like preparation for a commissioning ceremony. The 6-37/9 [and inferred 5-37/9] Battalion are new designations and the BTR80s in 1-37/9, 2-37/9, and 3-37/9 Battalions are transferring to ISOF. The status of 4-37/9 Battalion’s Brazilian EE-9 Scout Cars is not known but they are probably transferring to ISOF or the 56th Brigade.
The first batch of BTR-4 armored personnel carriers are due to deliver in October 2010. This initial batch is 24 of the 420 ordered vehicles. The turret on the BTR4s has been identified as the Parus turret with a 30mm cannon, 40mm grenade launcher, 7.62mm light machine gun, and Barrier laser guided anti-tank missiles.
According to an unconfirmed report, a platoon commander on BMP-1s from the 35th Brigade [9th Mechanized Division] was going to Ukraine in September 2010 to be trained on the BTR-4. There was no mention of his transferring from the brigade. BTR-4s may be planned to fill the role of M3/Bradley Cavalry Fighting Vehicles in IA heavy brigades.
Subsequent reports said that approximately 120 Iraqi Army personnel are training in the Ukraine as commanders, gunners, drivers, and maintenance troops. Part of that training contingent has been identified as elements of the BMP-1 equipped 3-35/9 Battalion. This battalion is upgrading to the BTR4 as part of the modernization of the 9th Division.
For the first time a “Kirkuk Operations Center” was mentioned by a USF-I spokesman. This command was mentioned on same level as Diyala and Ninawa Operational Commands and indicates a new corps-level joint command has been established.
There is a report indicating that the 9th Mechanized Division is relocating its headquarters and training from Taji with the departure of US forces from FOB Hammer. “Hammer will act as the home of the Mechanized Iraqi 9th Division.” FOB Hammer is co-located at the Besmaya Combat Training center – the home of Iraqi Armor Training – and previously housed a US Brigade.
Iraqi Air Force
(click to view full)
Training at the Iraqi Air Force College has restarted. Iraqi Air Force training split from the Iraqi Army earlier this year and with the Iraqi Air Force’s planned expansion this is a significant event. “The Iraqi air force has approximately 5,000 airmen [officer and enlisted] today. That number is projected to grow to nearly 12,000 by the end of 2012.”
The 1st Lasta-95 basic trainers have been delivered to Iraq. All 20 are to be delivered by end 2010. 2 sets of 3 aircraft each were delivered in August by truck from Serbia.
Iraqi Ministry of Defense announced the 3rd installment of Mi-17s received from Russia for the Army Air Corps. These additional 8 Mi-17s is part of an ongoing order of helicopters. 5 squadrons worth of Mi-17 aircrew have been reported trained by 2009 but only 2 squadrons are commissioned. These aircraft are for the next squadron to be commisioned.
The FMS notice of a possible sale of 18 F-16IQ aircraft has been published, along with an ordnance request including older model Sidewinder and Sparrow air-to-air missiles, Maverick air-to-ground missiles, and various sizes of laser guided bombs (see link for full details). That part of the notice was unusual in that the numbers are small and the delivery time for this ordinance is much sooner than for the aircraft. This could mean that the ordinance part of this order is for live-fire training of Iraqi aircrew prior to the delivery of the aircraft. Iraqi pilots intended for the F16 are being trained in Texas by the USAF.
The 1st Iraqi Air Force AN-32 has been produced and is delivering this month. This aircraft was photographed flying near Kiev. 3 AN-32s are to be delivered by the end of 2010. A delivery rate of 3 each year is planned, with the last of the first order of 10 delivered in 2013.
A batch of 3 more T6A Texan trainers transited to Iraq arriving, in Tikrit on 21 September. 4 more of these trainers are scheduled to arrive in November 2010. Only 15 are ordered but Iraq has permissions to buy up to 20 total T-6A trainers and 36 AT-6B scout and light attack aircraft. Budget issues reduced the planned purchases.
While Iraq is reported by the Russians as negotiating with Russia for Air Defense equipment, this must be considered unconfirmed and possible false reporting. Russian sources have repeatedly claimed major arms sales in negotiation with Iraq, only to have nothing result.
Iraqi Navy
(click to view larger)
The 1st Swiftship built Iraqi patrol boat arrived at Umm Qasr. PB301 was welcomed to the Iraqi Navy just in time for Navy Day. Three more Swiftship PBs are scheduled to arrive in December with the remaining 11 to be delivered in 2011.
Iraq is purchasing four simulators and associated training for Iraqi Naval Forces in support of Iraq’s 60 meter offshore support vessel hull production. These 2 ships are scheduled to be delivered in 2011 and 2012.
Ministry of Interior NATO Training Mission-Iraq (NTM-I) held a graduation ceremony for 527 Iraqi policemen and Kurdish Zerevani as they completed joint Federal Police training at Camp Dublin, Iraq on 23 September 2010. This is the 14th batch if Federal Police (5th batch of Zerevani) to graduate from Carabinarie training. Of note, this is only 1 battalion plus Zerevani contingent – for over a year now, these courses have been training batches of 2 battalions (over 900). Identification of this graduating battalion and the reason for the slowdown in training are not available.
The Region V Department of Border Enforcement headquarters and training appears to have moved to Diwaniyah from Najaf. Also, Region V appears to be short a brigade. The 9th DBE Brigade is in training in Basrah and the 11th DBE Brigade is also reported in Region IV. Only the 12th DBE Brigade is still reported in Region V – an area covering the Saudi border from the Kuwait tri-border to Ar’Ar.
Ministry of Interior
(click to view full)
EOD appears to be the Ministry of Interior’s focus at this time. The Ministry of Interior’s Counter Explosives Directorate is building a Training Center at Salman Pak. It is planned to be complete in mid-2011.
According to Iraqi press, EOD is also becoming a training focus for some provincial police. “The al-Anbar Police Command has started anti-explosives departments in every police station in the province.”
The Ministry of Interior has a contract for 80 more armored military vehicles for the Iraqi Federal Police, to be contracted through the U.S. Army Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process. Of the 80 M1117 vehicles, 72 will be configured as Armored Personnel Carriers. A total of 184 vehicles (122 ASV and 62 APC) have already been delivered to Iraq under previous procurements. This indicates that the FP is about to commission a 2nd Mechanized Brigade.
A photo of ILAV Badger engineering route-clearance vehicles [with claws] in MoI’s Federal Police colors has been acquired. It is not known which elements of the Federal Police have these MRAPs, or how many ILAVs have been acquired by the FP. Prior to the receipt of this photo, only the Iraqi Army was known to have these vehicles. The only FP unit previously publicly reported as receiving route-clearance training was the 1st Federal Police Mechanized Brigade in 2009.
Originally published by DJ Elliott at Montrose Toast. The combined September and October reports are reproduced here with permission. Comments and corrections to these materials are encouraged, please use this link.
Additional Readings: Full ISF OOB
These documents contain tables with the full OOB as we know it.
- Page 1: Iraqi National Operational Command (NOC)/Joint Forces Command (JFC) [PDF]
- Page 2: Iraqi Army Quick Reaction Forces (QRF) [PDF]
- Page 3: Iraqi Army Northern Forces [PDF]
- Page 4: Iraqi Army Central Forces [PDF]
- Page 5: Iraqi Army Southern Forces [PDF]
- Page 6: Iraqi Air Force (IZAF) [PDF]
- Page 7: Iraqi Navy (IZN) and Marine Corps (IZM) [PDF]
- Page 8: Counter-Terrorism Bureau and Commands [PDF]
- Page 9: Joint Operational Commands [PDF]
- Pages 10-14: Ministry of Interior (MOI)
- MOI Core Units and Emergency Response Force [PDF]
- Iraqi National Police and Provincial [PDF]
- Department of Border Enforcement et. al. [PDF]
- MoI Emergency Police [PDF]
- Oil Police Directorate [PDF]
- Appendix A: Definitions & Acronyms
- Appendix B: ISF Standard Tables of Organization
- Appendix C: ISF Equipment
- Appendix D: Related Articles & Monthly Updates
- Appendix E: 2007 Notes
- Appendix F: 2008 Notes
- Appendix G: 2009 Notes
- Appendix H: 2010 Notes
Additional Readings: DID Articles
Note that the ISF OOB often tracks developments that DID’s articles cannot, until official confirmation exists. On the other hand, DID articles can offer a drill-down into key contracts and their associated developments and background, via an easily-accessible organizing principle. As such, it’s best to treat these sources as separate but complementary. DID thanks DJ Elliott for his frequent assistance, which is credited in many of these articles.
- DID – Iraq Seeks F-16 Fighters
- DID – T/A-50 Golden Eagles for Iraq?
- DID – Iraq Orders C-130Js
- DID – The Penny Drops: Iraq Chooses its COIN Aircraft. And trainers.
- DID – Standing Up the IqAF: King Air 350s. Iraq’s top reconnaissance asset, now adopted by the USA. Iraq’s are reportedly slated to be armed.
- DID – Bird Dogs for the Iraqi Air Force. some of them have teeth, now.
- DID – Medium Mainstay: Mi-17s for Iraq
- DID- Iraq Seeks Armed Reconnaissance Helicopters
- DID – Iraq Orders Eurocopter’s EC635s
- DID – Iraq Looking for More Light/Med. Utility Helicopters
- DID – M1 Abrams Tanks for Iraq
- DID – Iraq: Looking for LAVs in All the Right Places. It appears that the Strykers were ordered, and the LAV-25s were not.
- DID – BAE Delivering a Cougar Variant for Iraq’s ILAV Contract. Iraq’s ILAV/ Badger MRAP. Supplemented by locally-produced Reva vehicles, which are another design.
- DID – Bittersweet Symphony: Lockheed & A-V Deliver Anti-IED Devices. Some of these orders have been Iraqi.
- DID – December 2008: Small Arms for Iraq
- DID – Command Tents and C3 for Iraq
- DID – Iraq Asks for USACE Help With Military Infrastructure
- DID – Iraq to Purchase $1.05B in Medical Items
- DID – Swiftships to Build Up Iraqi Navy’s Coastal Patrol Capabilities
- DID (Dec 9/09) – Ukraine, Iraq in $2.5 Bn Weapons Deal
- DID (Nov 29/09) – AECOM Gets 6-Month Extension to Iraqi Security Forces Maintenance Contract
- DID (June 11/09) – Non-Standard Ammo Orders for Iraq
- DID (Sept 25/08) – Standing Up Iraq’s MoD: A British Snapshot
- DID (Feb 14/08) – VSE, Westar to Help Train Iraqi Pilots
- DID (Oct 7/07) – $2.257B for Iraqi Army Guns, Vehicles & Logistics. Includes their DSCA request for BTR-3E1s.
- DID (Aug 27/07) – Iraq Requests Another 16 Huey-II Helicopters
- DID (Nov 21/05) – Iraq Receives T-72s & BMPs – With Another Armored Brigade Planned
