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The air force had a total of 1000 trained personnel at the eve of the Anglo-Soviet invasion. Obsolete aircraft were distributed to the four major airbases in Ahvaz, Tabriz and Mashad. In practice only the ten P-40 Curtis aircraft at Ahvaz air base were capable of challenging British and Russian aircraft, but only one of these had been assembled from its kits. This was flown by an American pilot-mechanic to Iraq as soon as the Anglo-Soviets invaded in August 1941.
