Drone Attack at Erbil Airbase Kills Contractor, Injures Five Amidst Safety Concerns

A V2X defense contractor employee died and five others were injured in a drone attack on their sleeping quarters at Erbil airbase in Iraq on March 24. The incident occurred amidst reports of employee safety concerns and differing evacuation policies among defense contractors operating in the region.

Incident Details

The attack on March 24 resulted in the death of a Kenyan national, an employee of the US defense contractor V2X. Five other V2X workers from Kenya and India sustained injuries, with one individual reported to be critically wounded.

Approximately 45 V2X employees were on the base at the time of the incident.

The drone attack on March 24 at Erbil airbase led to one fatality and five injuries among V2X defense contractor employees.

Employee Concerns and Company Policies

Reports from V2X employees indicate significant pressure regarding their presence in Iraq. They were informed that a voluntary departure from Iraq would be considered a resignation and could lead to future blacklisting. Employees also reported experiencing fear and perceiving hostility from management when safety or evacuation plans were discussed.

In contrast to V2X's directives, other US defense contractors, including Lockheed Martin and Amentum, reportedly evacuated their staff from Erbil weeks prior to the incident. Many V2X employees in Erbil were housed in a hotel in the city, which employees stated lacked adequate security measures.

Employees have linked the company's directive for staff to remain in Iraq to concerns about V2X potentially losing its $252 million Logistics Civil Augmentation Program (LOGCAP) contract, which supports Iraq's F-16 fighter jet program.

Management Actions and Previous Incidents

Despite directives for employees to remain, several V2X management personnel, including the task order manager and site manager, departed Erbil on March 24 following the attack.

Previous reports in March had detailed security challenges faced by V2X employees at other US military bases in Kuwait and at Martyr Brigadier General Ali Flaih air base near Baghdad. These reports cited inadequate protections and limited communication from the company regarding security. Following these earlier reports, V2X management reportedly questioned employees to identify individuals who had communicated with the media.

At Martyr Brigadier General Ali Flaih air base, workers were also instructed that leaving would result in job termination. Employees there have been ordered to wear Personal Protective Equipment due to frequent drone alerts and projectile interceptions.

An earlier attempt by V2X in late February to evacuate non-essential staff from Martyr Brigadier General Ali Flaih was aborted after the Iraqi government reportedly threatened to terminate V2X’s contract. Some of these personnel subsequently became stranded in Erbil due to airspace closures.

Management personnel departed Erbil after the attack, while earlier attempts to evacuate non-essential staff were reportedly aborted due to threats of contract termination.

External Security Advisories

US embassies in the Middle East have repeatedly advised American citizens to exercise increased caution, reconsider travel, or depart the region due to security risks.

On April 2, the US Embassy in Baghdad issued an alert recommending US citizens leave Iraq immediately, citing potential attacks by Iraqi militia targeting US interests and personnel.