WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. State Department has approved the sale of 5,000 Hellfire missiles to Iraq as Baghdad tries to fend off militant Islamist forces.
The deal is valued at $700 million, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said on Tuesday.
Iraq had requested 5,000 of the air-to-ground missiles, which are manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corp and enable helicopters to battle tanks and other armored vehicles. Much smaller Hellfire shipments have already been sent to Iraq.[eap_ad_2]
Parts, training and logistical support are part of the new deal.
Iraq’s U.S.-trained and -funded army has unraveled as Sunni insurgents have taken swathes of northern and western Iraq.[eap_ad_3]