Iraq has signed a contract with the US to buy 18 US-made F-16 fighters. It's the second part of an agreement to purchase 36 of the jets. The first 18 were purchased in a deal last year, valued at around 3 billion US dollars.

The country's acting Defense Minister said the two countries are also in talks about purchases of air defense systems and Apache helicopters.

Iraq signed military contracts with Russia, the Czech Republic and with the United States this month as it seeks to build up its air force. Iraq has had no real air force since 2003 when the US-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein.

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