Czech government ordered 72 aircraft, but after review, opted to reduce the fleet size to 24 L-159s, which received the latest avionics upgrades, while the remaining aircraft were placed into long term storage. By 2016, the Czech Air Force had 16 L-159A and 5 L-159T1 aircraft in service. On 1 June 2016, Aero Vodochody received an order to upgrade an initial batch of 16 Czech Air Force L-159s. Iraq On 15 October 2012, it was announced that Iraq had agreed to purchase 28 L-159s from the Czech government. During early 2015, Iraq signed a deal for 14 L-159 aircraft, comprising 12 L-159As and two L-159T1s, for the Iraqi Air Force. This sale was politically controversial in the United Kingdom, as it necessitated the lifting of a long-standing ban on the export of British radar technology to Iraq. The first two Czech L-159s were delivered to Iraq on 5 November 2015. In May 2016, numerous Iraqi L-159s participated in attacks upon positions held by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) insurgents in the city of Fallujah. During October and November 2016, L-159 aircraft operated by Squadron No. 115 were deployed in the battle against ISIL forces at the Southern outskirts of Mosul. As the threat posed by ISIS diminished in Iraq, the L-159s were placed into temporary storage around 2017 or 2018. During February 2022, it was announced that the Iraqi L159s had been brought back into active service, although they were only capable of limited operations initially. It had reportedly been used in multiple strikes against insurgents in ISIL hideouts in the Hamrin Mountains of Diyala province during late 2021. During early 2022, Iraq has been in contact with Aero Vodochody on the topic of modernising its L-159 fleet. Spain In 2009, EADS-CASA of Spain exchanged with the CzAF four CASA C-295 for three L-159As, two L-159T1s and 130 million Euros. Later the two L-159T1s were returned by EADS-CASA to the Czech Republic as compensation for the C-295M not meeting the counter measures requirements of the CzAF at the time of delivery. This problem has been solved by EADS-CASA three years later and the remaining three L-159As resold by EADS-CASA to Lewis Fighter Fleet LLC. United States During 2014, it was announced that Draken International Inc., a civilian American company that cooperates with the US military for pilot training, was in the process of acquiring 21 ex-Czech Air