Nigeria to receive batch of Czech armored vehicles to help in fight against Boko Haram

Defence & Security News - Czech Republic and Nigeria
 
 
Nigeria to receive batch of Czech armored vehicles to help in fight against Boko Haram
The Nigerian military is receiving 16 armoured vehicles, including T-72 tanks, from the Czech Republic in order to help it in the battle against Boko Haram militants, reported yesterday defenceWeb. Czech daily publication Mlada fronta Dnes last week reported that Czech company Excalibur Group will deliver 16 vehicles including T-72 M1 tanks, BMP armoured infantry fighting vehicles and rocket launchers to an African country.
     
Nigeria to receive batch of Czech armored vehicles to help in fight against Boko Haram 640 001 Three Czech T-72 M1 main battle tanks being prepared for flight to Nigeria aboard An-225
     
Czech Defence and Security Industry Association president Jiri Hynek confirmed the weapons’ destination as Nigeria, reports the Prague Post, saying the equipment is being delivered quickly.

The weaponry is being flown to Nigeria aboard a giant Antonov An-225 freighter, which is scheduled to make three flights to Africa. The Antonov An-25 Mriya, the biggest plane in the world, landed at the Leoš Janácek airport in Ostrava–Mošnov, the Moravia-Silesia region, today to transport armored technology of the Excalibur Army company to Africa, airport spokeswoman Michaela Kubešová and Excalibur spokesman Andrej Círtek said. Photos of the An-225 and four T-72 tanks were taken in the Czech Republic city of Ostrava on January 26.

The T-72 M1 is a soviet export version of the T-72 main battle tank, with thicker armour and similar to T-72A obr.1979g. It also is fitted with 7+5 smoke grenade dischargers on turret front. An external difference with the Soviet original is the reduced number of KMT mounts on the lower glacis plate.

(Source: defenceWeb)