ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The Iraqi Air Force on Sunday pushed back on a recent Forbes article claiming that Iraq doesn’t have the capabilities to operate its F-16 fleet, asserting that the aircraft have flown over 20,000 sorties and conducted more than 1,300 military operations against the Islamic State (ISIS) since 2014.

On May 28, Forbes released a report questioning Iraq’s technical and professional ability to independently manage advanced military equipment. It argued that the country’s F-16 operational readiness heavily depends on foreign assistance, particularly from Lockheed Martin contractors.

The report further pointed out that when foreign contractors evacuate the country, the readiness of the fleet decreases.

In a statement, Iraq’s Air Force Command said that the article “lacked accuracy and was contrary to reality,” highlighting the “highly skilled and professional” Iraqi pilots who received “advanced training” in the US, as well as the “experienced” engineering and technical team who also have “recognized certificates” granted by the US.

The command further underlined the field experience involving the use of the F-16s, noting “20,071 sorties flown” and “13,176 bombs” dropped on enemy targets from the start of the ISIS war in the region in 2014 till 2026.

More than 1,300 combat missions were also carried out against ISIS, resulting in the killing of 675 members and 280 hideouts destroyed, according to the statement.

Baghdad has repeatedly employed its F-16 fleet to conduct airstrikes against ISIS cells operating across the country.

In November 2025, the US Department of Defense awarded a contract worth over $252 million for base support services for Iraq's F-16 fighter jets to Vectrus Systems LLC., a Colorado-based defense contractor.

The Iraqi Air Force received its US-made F-16 fighter jets in 2014, coming after a years-long acquisition process that came to be hastened as the country struggled with the emergence of ISIS as a stark territorial threat in the same year.

A staple of air forces deemed allies of Washington, F-16 fighter jets have been in operation since the 1970s and are currently the most common fixed-wing jet operated in military service across the globe.