British manufacturers will supply 62 firefighting vehicles to Iraq's Ministry of Interior under a $31mn loan agreement from UK Export Finance (UKEF), marking one of Iraq's largest emergency services investments this century.

The deal announced on January 30 will see Scotland's Emergency One provide MAN TGM vehicles with 6,500-litre water tanks, while Yorkshire-based Angloco will deliver 31 Mercedes vehicles capable of carrying 6,000 litres of water.

Both models include 500-litre foam tanks.

Abdul Amir Al-Shammari, Iraq Minister of Interior, said: "The Government of Iraq is contracting with British companies through the UKEF Loan to import specialised firefighting vehicles for the Directorate of Civil Defence.

"This will contribute significantly to the strengthening of the Directorate's capabilities through the use of high-quality vehicles. This demonstrates the continuous support received by the Directorate by the UK and will improve our ability to tackle fire incidents."

This demonstrates the continuous support received by the Directorate by the UK and will improve our ability to tackle fire incidents."

"We have a Plan for Change to help grow our economy and support workers across the country, and that's precisely what these deals are about," said UK Exports Minister Gareth Thomas.

"Shining a spotlight on cutting edge tech and highly skilled jobs, this announcement shows the UK's exporting potential and manufacturing strength."

JP Morgan's global head of export finance John Meakin added: "JP Morgan is delighted to support the finance of firefighting equipment from the UK to the Republic of Iraq."

The financing arrangement, with JP Morgan acting as lead arranger and agent bank, follows UKEF's 2023 guarantee that helped British firms secure over GBP 100mn in export contracts for drainage infrastructure around Iraq's Hillah city.

The deal aims to modernise Iraq's firefighting capabilities, which are particularly crucial during summer months when fires can severely impact businesses, communities, and infrastructure across the country.