Russian Army T-90A tank on display during parade festivities in May 2013.
Russia and Iraq have reached a deal to deliver “a large batch” of Russian-made T-90 battle tanks to the Iraqi military, the Russian Izvestiya newspaper reported citing the Kremlin official.
According to Vladimir Kozhin, an aide to the Russian president on military-technical cooperation, Moscow will sell a large number of T-90 battle tank to Baghdad in order to strengthen the Iraqi Armed Forces. However, Kozhin didn’t disclose the price of the deal.
Earlier reports appeared that the Russian tank manufacturer, Uralvagonzavod, will deliver 73 T-90S and T-90SK battle tanks to Iraq in 2017.
The T-90S is an export version of the T-90 main battle tank. The T-90SK is an export version meant for a unit commander.
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Someone isn’t satisfied with those M1 Abramses?
Maybe strings attached for spare parts and ammo and other technical support.
The T-90 are more functional in comparison to the Abrams in the desert, cost less to maintain and parts are easier to access. The US is always making strings attached when they sell anything or even buy it .
US position in Iraq is somewhat precarious, they try to maintain as much as leverage as possible on the Iraqis. Iraqis had ordered F-16s from the US and needed those planes to fight ISIS, US took its sweet time with deliveries, enabling ISIS to extend their gains in Iraq. T90 has better protective package than the Abrams, Shtora, reactive armor and Arena APS provide the tank with good defensive coverage 360 degrees. A 45 ton tank can provide +1000 MM RHS protection given its defensive suite. Abrams on the other hand is a heavy hog that needs to get close to be effective. Side turrets and side hull is vulnerable without any APS.
Probably also a price issue. But the restrictions that the US places on weapons they sell are cumbersome, as also the Philippines expressed very clearly. Russia selling weapons to Syria, Iraq and Egypt, in large quantities? The US certainly misses out on some export opportunities here!
US restrictions are based on politics and how well it suits its overall agenda. Iraq got fed up with weapon delivery delays that hurt them in their war with ISIS, Syria is a testing ground for new and older Russian weapons that are showcased for export; Egypt got fed up with the US support of the Muslim Brotherhood, and the color revolution that took place that displaced Mubarak, they are buying Mig 35, helicopters and possibly armor and air defenses.
Well done to Russia and good choice Iraq. Also, the Russians have proven themselves reliable and very good allies and do things with no “other” pernicious strings attached!
very cool!!!
Tanks never have helped defend Iraq in history. What Iraq’s military needs is 40,000 pieces of Thermal and Night vision equipment for many of their solders so they can fight day and night effectively against ISIS or Israel or UK or USSA troops anytime anywhere. And Iraq needs Iranian advanced anti-air missile defense. Iraq needs to get rid of AK-47’s and acquire rifles that fire longer range rounds more accurately. Tanks be damned on modern battlefields. They are of low level usefulness.