BAGHDAD, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani has urged the U.S. arms dealer Lockheed Martin to open maintenance facilities for F-16 fighter jets in Iraq.

A statement released by his media office on Thursday said that al-Sudani met with the President of Lockheed Martin, James Taiclet, and his delegation, during a visit to Washington D.C., the United States, where the Iraqi prime minister stressed the need for the company, the manufacturer of F-16 aircraft, to open maintenance facilities and supply Iraq with the needed spare parts.

"This is very important for Iraq to rehabilitate the Iraqi warplanes (F-16) to preserve the country's national security," al-Sudani said.

The company's delegation expressed its understanding and readiness to meet the requests of the Iraqi government regarding the implementation of aircraft supply contracts to provide all necessary equipment, according to the statement.

Iraqi F-16 fighter jets are deployed at the Balad Airbase, some 80 km north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. The airbase also housed U.S. troops and a camp for a U.S. technical team, who had previously withdrawn from the airbase after a series of rocket attacks by unidentified militias.

Al-Sudani left Baghdad on April 13 for an official visit to the United States, during which he met with U.S. President Joe Biden, and other senior officials, including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. Enditem

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