Baghdad: The spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Sabah al-Nu’man, confirmed on Thursday that the Commander-in-Chief has directed the establishment of a fund to meet the requirements of the Air Defense Forces.

According to Iraqi News Agency, Al-Nu’man told Al-Iraqiya News that the current visit of the Iraqi delegation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a continuation of the previous visit by the Saudi security delegation to Baghdad, where it met with the Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. He explained that the discussions focused on protecting international borders, coordinating intelligence and information, and emphasizing the mutual commitment to respecting sovereignty and preventing any attacks or violations.

Al-Nu’man added that security relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are historical and highly important, and this visit comes to further strengthen the depth of understandings, security partnership, and joint coordination aimed at maintaining regional stability.

In another context, al-Nu’man revealed details of the Commander-in-Chief’s visit to the Air Defense Command, noting that the Air Defense branch has transitioned from a support branch to a vital combat branch, a shift dictated by the demands of modern warfare.

He explained that the Commander-in-Chief directed the establishment of a fund to finance the Air Defense branch’s requirements and provide the necessary allocations despite the financial constraints. Additionally, the Commander-in-Chief also directed that the plan for developing and equipping the Air Defense Forces, originally scheduled for 2026-2031, be accelerated and completed within just three years while maintaining all technical and technological requirements.

He clarified that the support includes providing medium- and long-range radar systems, missile capabilities, integrated command-and-control systems, and electronic connectivity for centralized control of Iraqi airspace.