Cairo - Mena
A Kremlin aide has confirmed that the Iraqi armed forces will soon take delivery of Russian-made T-90 battle tanks, Russia Today reported Thursday.
The Russian hardware will be deployed alongside the US M1A1 Abrams tanks.
"A significant contract for a large batch" of T-90 tanks, has been signed between Baghdad and manufacturer Uralvagonzavod, Vladimir Kozhin, an aide to the Russian president on military-technical cooperation said.
T-90S is the designation of the export version of the armor while "SK" stands for the export version meant for a unit commander.
Iraq’s Ministry of Defense has also confirmed the purchase of the Russian tanks.
The shipment of 70 T-90 would be followed by more deliveries. The armor sale may amount to "hundreds" of tanks and surpass 1 billion dollars.
Source: Mena