MOSCOW. July 30 (Interfax-AVN) - Contracts worth over $1 billion for supplies of a large amount of artillery weapons were signed during a high-level Iraqi delegation's visit to Moscow last week, a source with the Russian defense industry told Vedomosti.
"During a visit of an Iraqi delegation led by Defense Minister Sadun Farhan al-Dulaymi to Moscow last week, contracts worth over $1 billion were signed for shipments of a large amount of artillery and mortar weapons and ammunition to Iraq, which includes four Solntsepyok fighting vehicles," the source said.
Russia will also supply Iraq with two or three batteries of Grad multiple rocket launchers, the same number of Msta-B 152-mm howitzers, and a large number of 2B11 and 2B14 mortars, he said.
The contract includes a significant amount of ammunition for these systems, with the emphasis placed on the simplest unguided rounds. A batch of mortars and antitank rockets has also been bought. The weapons and ammunition in question will be partly manufactured at Russian defense industry enterprises and partly shipped from the Russian stocks.
Vedomosti pointed out that Iraq had bought five Su-25 attack planes from Russia in June and is negotiating the purchase of about ten Su-27/30 fighters. In 2013, Iraq ordered 36 Mi-28NE helicopters and over 40 Pantsir-S anti-aircraft missile systems costing about $4.2 billion, but the number of the Mi-28NE helicopters was later reduced in favor of the better tried and tested Mi-35 helicopter.