Partner nations participating in Nato Mission Iraq coordinated a withdrawal of troops and equipment from Baghdad into neighbouring countries.
The coordinated effort saw Nato states fly personnel and equipment out of Baghdad on several A400M aircraft.
Members of the Nato military alliance have withdrawn troops and personnel from Iraq amid the ongoing US and Israeli campaign against Iran, which continues to spill across the Middle East.
General Alexus Grynkewich, Nato Supreme Allied Commander Europe, initially confirmed the withdrawal of the final personnel participating in Nato Mission Iraq (NMI) on 20 March.
NMI was first launched in July 2018 and includes a broad coalition of more than 70 countries, tasked with supporting the Iraqi security forces and preventing the resurgence of Islamic State.
This non-combat advisory and capability-building group will continue operating from Joint Force Command Naples in Italy.
بيان صادر عن وزارة الدفاع
•••••
تعرضت قاعدة #كركوك الجوية إلى اعتداءٍ آثم بمقذوفٍ حربي، نتج عنه اندلاع حريق داخل القاعدة، وقد سارعت الكوادر الفنية إلى احتوائه والسيطرة عليه بشكل كامل، مما حال دون توسع الأضرار ومنع وقوع خسائر بشرية.
وتؤكد وزارة الدفاع أن قاعدة كركوك الجوية… pic.twitter.com/acOIan2eag
On the same day, the German Bundeswehr noted its support of the withdrawal of troops and equipment using several A400M Atlas transport aircraft.
After a stopover in Jordan, the returning soldiers flew back to Germany… landing safely in Wunstorf on the evening of 19 March.
Defence Minister Boris Pistorius elaborated on the German involvement of the successful departure of Nato troops from Baghdad, noting the operation took place under “very risky conditions.”
At the end of January, the Bundestag decided to extend its mandate to deploy up to 500 soldiers in NMI until 2027. At the time, the Government asserted its goal to develop a long term and sustainable Iraqi security architecture in the country “is far from being fully achieved.”
Forced to move its centre of operations to southern Europe – more than 1,750 miles away as the crow flies – the move proves a success for the Iranian regime.
Firstly, as it isolates the US military in its ongoing campaign, which risks dividing transatlantic ties even further. Secondly, the Tehran’s strategy is most effective against weaker neighbours, as seen in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq more than a decade ago.
The Bundeswehr did not recount the risky conditions of the withdrawal to which Pistorius referred.
However, a spokesperson for the Bundeswehr Joint Force Command told Airforce Technology that in recent weeks, due to the increasing tensions in the region, the German military have already taken precautionary measures to reduce personnel “not urgently required” for the mission.
“Further adjustments cannot be ruled out and will be guided by developments of the situation on the ground,” they added with no reference to future adjustments under consideration.
Lockheed Martin has begun final assembly of the first F-35A Lightning II fighter jet destined for the German Air Force at its Fort Worth, Texas production facility. The airframe has entered final assembly with its major structural components joined and positioned for installation of critical systems
AZAK said it will present its second-generation unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) at the AUSA Global Force Symposium & Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama, from March 24 to 26, 2026. The Denver-based company confirmed it will bring its latest platform to the event following recent progress in U.S. Arm
Anyone who has visited major military and aerospace exhibitions such as the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget in France, Farnborough International Airshow in the United Kingdom, IDEX in the UAE, or AUSA in the United States has likely noticed the many display models that stand out for their detail and cl
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) pulled into port at Souda Bay, Greece, the Navy announced Monday. Ford, the flagship of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, is in port for maintenance and repairs following a March 12 fire in the aft laundry room. A ship spotter saw Ford and three destroyers head int