MenaDefense
The Iraqi Armed Forces have received the fourth batch of T-90S main battle tanks (MBTs) from Russia, Maj. Gen. Walid Khalifa, commander of the army’s 9th Armored Division, told the National Iraqi News Agency (NINA) on April 16.
According to the commander, Iraqi military troops are ready to operate the new MBTs. Over the last few months, Iraqi service members were trained on the hands of Russian experts.
The T-90S, which is manufactured by the Russian Uralvagonzavod company, is an export version of the original T-90A battle tank. This model is equipped with a computerized day and night targeting system and armed with a 125mm 2A46M smoothbore gun that can launch the 9M119 Refleks anti-tank guided missile.
Iraqi T-90S MBTs are equipped with a leaner version of the Shtora-1 passive/active protection system that does not include the infra-red jammers.
Click to see full-size image
Baghdad and Moscow finalized an agreement to supply the Iraqi Armed Forces with 73 T-9S MBTs in July of 2017. The first batch was shipped to Iraq in January of 2018.
The T-90S MBTs filled a large gap in the Iraqi Armored Forces that was relying mainly on the US-made M1A1 Abrams battle tanks, which are difficult to maintain and operate.
