During Saddam Hussein's rule, Iraq achieved significant military advancements in weapon manufacturing, including precision electronics. By the end of the war with Iran, the country succeeded in "assembling" an AWACS aircraft named "Baghdad-1." The Iraqi military needed a radar-carrying aircraft dedicated to early warning, control, and long-range detection during the lengthy conflict with Iran. In 1987, the "Ministry of Military Manufacturing" began developing such an aircraft.
In 1988, a Soviet-made heavy transport aircraft, the "Ilyushin-76MD," was equipped with a fixed French-made radar called "Thomson-CSF Tiger-G," which covered a 180-degree angle with a scanning range of 350 square kilometers. The radar was mounted at the rear door of the aircraft.
The second model of Iraqi early warning aircraft quickly emerged in 1989, initially named "Baghdad-2," before changing to "Adnan-2" following the death of Minister of Defense Adnan Khairallah Talfah, a cousin of Saddam Hussein, in a helicopter crash on May 4, 1989. The "Adnan-2" early warning aircraft was equipped with a modified "Tiger-G" radar antenna, shaped like a disc and mounted on its back. This model also included a radar warning system and a jamming station.
Experts note that the "Adnan-2" aircraft demonstrated significant combat capability compared to the earlier model, which was renamed "Adnan-1," along with enhanced ability to detect aerial targets. For several years, regular flights of the Iraqi early warning aircraft of both types "Adnan-1" and "Adnan-2" were observed, with the only difference being the antenna configuration on the "Adnan-2."
Iraqi officials at the time took pride in their early warning aircraft and were keen to showcase them to guests and representatives from other countries. Reports indicate that by 1991, Iraq had managed to manufacture four AWACS aircraft—two "Adnan-1" and two "Adnan-2." However, Saddam Hussein had ordered the production of eight aircraft of these types, but the country was suffering from dire economic conditions and was unable to purchase additional heavy transport aircraft like the "Ilyushin-76MD," which were the basis for the Iraqi early warning aircraft versions.
One of the Iraqi early warning aircraft was destroyed in an airstrike by coalition forces during Operation Desert Storm on January 23, 1991. Two Iraqi "Adnan-2" AWACS aircraft were sent to Iran during the Gulf War in 1991 for protection against heavy airstrikes, along with over 130 other modern aircraft, amounting to a third of the Iraqi Air Force. The Iraqi warplanes sent to Iran at that time never returned after the war, with Tehran declaring them as war reparations for the lengthy previous conflict between the two countries.
Since the mid-1990s, the Iraqi warplanes, including the early warning aircraft, were integrated into the Iranian Air Force, given new numbers, and painted in official Iranian colors. Military experts claim that Iranian specialists struggled for a long time to understand the complex equipment supplied with the Iraqi early warning aircraft, leading them to remain grounded for an extended period.
Although the exact fate of the "Adnan-2" aircraft is uncertain, a report mentions that one AWACS of this type was operational in Iran and crashed in 2009. It was said to have collided in mid-air with a fighter jet during preparations and exercises for an air display, resulting in seven fatalities.
