Iraq faces a potential six-month gap in its air defences following the withdrawal of US-led coalition forces, with new systems not expected to arrive until early next year.
The coalition completed its military withdrawal at the end of September, removing air defence systems that had helped protect parts of the country, including the Kurdistan Region.
Baghdad says agreements have been reached to purchase new equipment, but the first systems could take up to six months to arrive.
The transition has taken on added urgency after two drones targeted a camp for Iranian Kurdish refugees near Erbil last week.
Sabah al-Numan, spokesman for the commander-in-chief of Iraq's armed forces, said Baghdad had made "tangible progress" in acquiring new air defence systems.
He said the first batch would arrive within six months and be deployed across the country.
The package would include advanced radar systems, interceptor weapons and aircraft, he said, as part of a wider plan to strengthen Iraq's control over its airspace.
Numan said the country's security situation remained relatively stable and that Iraqi forces were maintaining a high level of readiness.
However, the announcement leaves questions over Iraq's ability to detect and intercept aerial threats before the new systems become operational.
Iraq has long struggled with limited and ageing air defence capabilities, while drones and missiles have become an increasingly prominent security threat.
A Defence Ministry official nevertheless played down the prospect of an immediate security vacuum.
"The available Iraqi air capabilities are not at a high level, and there is no denying that, but the security situation in the country is relatively calm," the official told The New Arab on condition of anonymity.
The official said Iraq retained "reasonably good capabilities" and that there were currently no expectations of major security breaches.
Concerns are particularly acute in the Kurdistan Region.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said on Monday that both federal Iraq and the autonomous region required effective air defence coverage.
"Let us be realistic. The Kurdistan Region and Iraq as a whole need an air defence system," he told the MERI Forum in Erbil.
Barzani said an earlier agreement negotiated under former prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani with the United States had included plans to provide air defence capabilities covering Kurdistan.
"Air defence is not only a need for the Iraqi state. The Kurdistan Region also needs it," he said.
He also stressed that weapons should remain under state control.
Military expert Aqil al-Shammari warned that the process could take longer than the six months announced by the government.
He said another three months could be required to integrate the equipment, establish command-and-control systems, train personnel, arrange maintenance and complete deployment.
"Owning the system does not mean providing complete air coverage," the former brigadier general told The New Arab.
Shammari said the transition period would be a major test of Baghdad's ability to protect Iraqi airspace.
Kurdish officials had warned before the coalition withdrawal that removing foreign forces and their air defence systems without an immediate replacement could leave the region vulnerable.
The withdrawal forms part of a wider transition towards a new security relationship between Baghdad and Washington focused on training, technology and military co-operation without a direct US combat presence.
They have argued that protecting Kurdistan's airspace is ultimately the responsibility of the federal government because it forms part of Iraq's national airspace.
Those concerns intensified after two explosive-laden drones targeted a camp housing Iranian Kurdish refugees near Erbil last week.
No casualties were reported, but the attack renewed fears that gaps in Iraq's air defences could leave the Kurdistan Region vulnerable to further drone strikes.
The withdrawal has also raised wider questions over whether Baghdad can manage its security without the coalition's military presence.