Ethiopia could buy 200 T-72 main battle tanks worth over US$100 million from Ukraine 1207111

a

Defense News - Ethiopia

 
 
Tuesday, July 12, 2011, 08:13 AM
 
Ethiopia could buy 200 T-72 main battle tanks worth over US$100 million from Ukraine.
 
Ethiopian Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi on Tuesday said his government' will buy 200 main battle tanks to replace an old fleet as the country moves strengthen its defense capacity.
     
Ethiopian Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi on Tuesday said his government' will buy 200 main battle tanks to replace an old fleet as the country moves strengthen its defense capacity.
Ukrainian modernized T-72B main battle tank at Defence Exhibition IDEX 2011
     

Meles told parliament that government had allocated about 1.2 percent of its US$ 6.8 billion 2011/2012 budget to security.

“This defense budget includes the buying of 200 main battle tanks, which some of you are asking for clarification,” he said.

Actually the current tanks of Etiopian army are aged between 50 and 60 years old can longer travel more than 200 kilometers for a military operation.

The Prime Minister said the tanks, mostly second hand, will be upgraded to fit the military’s expectations. He stopped short of mentioning the origin of the tanks. But there were reports that Ethiopia had agreed to buy around 200 T-72 tanks worth over US$100 million from Ukraine.

A news agency claimed that the deal was made last month between the Ethiopian government and unnamed Ukrainian arms dealers.

Ethiopia is battling an armed rebellion in the oil rich Orgaden region near Somalia. It also accuses its neighbour Eritrea of sponsoring insurgents who enter its territory.