The World : Iraq Lost 45 to 50 Planes

Iraq has lost 45 to 50 warplanes, roughly 10% of its air force, since Iran began its latest offensive Dec. 24, Iraqi authorities have told Rep. Robert G. Torricelli (D-N.J.), who has just returned from Baghdad. The estimate of downed Iraqi aircraft is by far the highest provided so far by the Iraqi government to any outsider. A Defense Department spokesman could not confirm the report, but the figure would tend to support earlier press reports from the battlefront that the secret shipment of U.S. spare parts for Hawk anti-aircraft missile systems to Iran last year had considerably improved Iranian air defenses. Torricelli said the Iraqis also blamed recent “extremely heavy tank losses” on U.S. and Israeli shipments of TOW anti-tank weapons to Iran.