Russia sends first batch of T-90 tanks to Iraq
The first batch of Russian T-90 tanks and armored transports has already been sent to Iraq. This was announced by Hakim al-Zamili, head of Iraq’s parliamentary defense committee, as reported by RIA Novosti.
According to al-Zamili, a batch of nine tanks is en route and will soon arrive in Iraq. They were dispatched from Russia on February 15. He added that the shipment of tanks will lead to “a strategic change in Iraq’s military infrastructure” since Iraq will have modern equipment which it can use in the fight against terrorism.
Russia’s contract to supply Iraq with armored vehicles was made in July 2017. The total value of the contract has not been disclosed officially. Ruslan Pukhov, head of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, estimated it at $1 billion, assuming that Iraq has purchased “hundreds of vehicles”.
A T-90S is the export variant of the T-90. According to the UralVagonZavod website, the tank’s rapid fire can reach seven shots per minute, and the tank has a top speed of 60 kph.
Since 2011, the Russian Armed Forces has used the T-90MS, the modernized version of the T-90. The top speed of the upgraded version on the road is at least 60 kph. It is equipped with a 125 mm smoothbore gun which ensures improved accuracy of projectiles compared to previous models.
The model uses wheel steering, as opposed to torsion steering, and has automatic gear transmission with the option of transition to manual transmission, which reduces the physical load on the driver, reduces the fuel consumption and improves the vehicle’s acceleration characteristics.