Iraqi Army

Iraqi Army
source
Name	Iraqi Army
Founded	1921 (origins)
Country	Iraq
Type	Army
Role	Land warfare
Size	Estimates vary
Command structure	Iraqi Armed Forces
Garrison	Baghdad
Battles	Anglo-Iraqi War, 1948 Arab–Israeli War, Iran–Iraq War, Gulf War, Iraq War (2003–2011), Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011), War in Iraq (2013–2017)
Commander1	Prime Minister of Iraq
Commander1 label	Commander-in-Chief
Identification symbol label	Flag

Iraqi Army The Iraqi Army is the principal land force of Iraq responsible for national defense, internal security, and support to civil authorities. Originating from formations created under the British Mandate for Mesopotamia and evolving through monarchic, republican, Ba'athist, and post-2003 eras, it has been shaped by regional wars, insurgencies, and international partnerships. The institution has experienced repeated restructuring influenced by events such as the Anglo-Iraqi War, the Iran–Iraq War, the Gulf War, and the Iraq War (2003–2011).

History

The army's lineage traces to the formation of the Royal Iraqi Army under the British Army during the interwar period and participation in regional crises like the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Post-1958 Iraqi Revolution (1958) upheavals and coups affected officer corps loyalty, contributing to involvement in the 1963 Ramadan Revolution and the Ba'ath Party rise under leaders such as Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr and Saddam Hussein. The prolonged Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988) expanded force structure and mobilization, while the defeat in the Persian Gulf War (1990–1991) and subsequent sanctions eroded capabilities. After the 2003 Invasion of Iraq led by the United States Department of Defense and United Kingdom Ministry of Defence, the old institution was dissolved and later rebuilt amid the Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011), the rise of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, and coalition efforts such as the Multinational force in Iraq.

Organization and Command

Contemporary command is under the Iraqi Armed Forces and the civilian leadership seated in Baghdad. The structure comprises corps, divisions, brigades, and specialized units including armored, mechanized, infantry, airborne, and commando elements modeled after several NATO and regional templates. Senior appointments have been subject to political negotiation involving parties like the Islamic Dawa Party (Iraq), Shi'a Islamist blocs, and Kurdistan Democratic Party, while regional commands interface with provincial security councils and formations of the Popular Mobilization Forces. Coordination occurs with ministries such as the Iraqi Ministry of Defence and security agencies influenced by lessons from engagements with Coalition forces, United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, and regional militaries.

Equipment and Capabilities

Equipment reflects layers of legacy inventories from suppliers including the Soviet Union, United States Department of Defense, and regional vendors such as Iran and Turkey. Main battle tanks, armored personnel carriers, artillery, air defense systems, small arms, and logistics vehicles form brigade combat power, augmented by modern communications and intelligence platforms procured through programs with partners like United States Central Command and NATO. Capability development has focused on counterinsurgency, urban operations, combined arms, and counter-IED efforts after encounters with insurgent groups such as Al-Qaeda in Iraq and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant; however, sustainment, maintenance, and integrated air-ground coordination remain areas of ongoing improvement.

Recruitment, Training, and Doctrine

Recruitment draws from Iraq's diverse population including Arab and Kurdish communities, with conscription and voluntary service influenced by political reconciliation and ministerial policy. Training has been provided domestically at academies and ranges and internationally through programs with the United States Military Academy, United Kingdom Defence Academy, Turkish Land Forces Command, and others. Doctrine incorporates counterinsurgency approaches promulgated after the Iraq War (2003–2011) and adaptations from conventional doctrines observed in the Iran–Iraq War and Gulf War. Professionalization campaigns have targeted officer education, noncommissioned officer development, force discipline, and human rights training in line with guidance from the United Nations and nongovernmental organizations active in Iraq.

Operations and Conflicts

Operational history includes conventional campaigns in the Iran–Iraq War and the Persian Gulf War, counterinsurgency and stabilization operations during the Iraq War (2003–2011), and large-scale internal security campaigns against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant culminating in battles for Mosul and Fallujah. The army has participated in coordinated operations with the Coalition Provisional Authority-era forces and later with Combined Joint Task Force–Operation Inherent Resolve and regional partners. Units have also supported disaster response and protection of critical infrastructure in coordination with provincial authorities and international agencies including the International Committee of the Red Cross and United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq.

International Cooperation and Assistance

Rebuilding efforts involved partnerships with the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Jordan, and Turkey, receiving equipment, training, and advisory support from institutions such as NATO Training Mission-Iraq and bilateral programs under United States Department of Defense security assistance. Multilateral engagement included intelligence sharing with INTERPOL-linked networks and cooperation on counter-IED, logistics, and aviation with the Coalition and regional militaries. Security sector reform initiatives engaged international organizations like the United Nations Development Programme and civil society stakeholders to align force conduct with international law instruments.

Contemporary Issues and Reform

Key challenges include force integration amid sectarian tensions, maintenance of diverse equipment inventories, corruption, logistics, and the need for coherent doctrine to confront hybrid threats posed by nonstate actors. Reform priorities emphasize professionalization, supply-chain modernization, air-ground interoperability, and accountability guided by legislative oversight in the Council of Representatives of Iraq. Ongoing debates involve relations with neighboring powers such as Iran and Turkey, the role of the Popular Mobilization Forces in national defense, and the balance between centralized command and provincial security autonomy. Continued international assistance and domestic political consensus remain critical to future capability and institutional resilience.

Category:Military of Iraq