Iraq has received first batch of T-90S tanks MBT from Russia.

According to a news released on the Russian press agency TASS website on February 19, 2018, Iraq has received the first batch of 36 T-90S main battle tanks (MBTs) under an arms contract with Russia, Shafaq News reported on Monday, citing Chief of Staff of the Iraqi Army, Lieutenant-General Othman Al-Ghanmi.

The delivery of the Russian-made T-90S main battle tank in an undisclosed area in Iraq (Picture source Internet)

During an inspection visit to Basra, Al-Ghanmi has confirmed that the 36 Russian-made T-90S main battle tanks had been delivered to Iraq. Another batch of 37 more T-90S MBTs under the contract would bge delivered to Iraq by late April.

Earlier, Arabic media cited a source from the Iraqi defense ministry as saying that the first T-90S MBTs have been delivered to the port city of Umm Qasr on February 15, 2018, to be later transported to Baghdad.

In Jully 2017, its was announced that Iraqi Ministry of Defense reported has purchase 70 main battle tanks T-90S from Russia. The T-90S is in service with the Russian, Syrian, Algerian, Azerbaijani and Indian armies. In India, the T-90S called Bhishma is in production under license. Negotiations are underway with Vietnam on the supply of the tank. Vladimir Kozhin told Izvestia that there was also a "big request" for T-90s from Kuwait, but the dialogue on this contract was still ongoing, the newspaper Izvestia reports.

The T-90S is an enhanced version of the Russian-made T-90 Main Battle Tank (MBT) to meet the operational requirements of countries in Asia. The T-90 has been in service with the Russian army since 1992. The tank was developed as a major upgrade to the T-72B. The vehicle is armed with a 125-mm 2A46M or 2A46M-5 gun/launcher, which can fire both standard tank ammunition and anti-tank guided missiles. Second armament of the T-90 includes one 12.7mm anti-aircraft and one 7.62mm coaxial machine guns.