Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Ukrainian MBTs for Thailand


Vladyslav Shvets


Oplot MBT is the latest product of Ukraine’s armored industry / Photo from UNIAN

Arms exports remain an important source of income for the Ukrainian defense sector. One of the major export contracts is this year’s delivery of a final batch of Olot main battle tanks to Thailand. The deal is worth nearly $250 million.


Ukraine retains its status of one of the world’s TOP 10 arms exporters.


According to the State-owned Ukroboronprom Concern, over the past few years, the volume of export contracts has increased significantly. Over the first 9 months of 2016 alone, the amount of the military equipment supplied abroad grew 20%, worth almost $600 million, while the total amount of export contracts signed in 2016 was worth more than $1.5 billion.

After the beginning of hostilities in Donbas, fulfillment of international contracts for the sale of weapons has ceased to become top priority. The main task for the Ukrainian government was to ensure combat capability of the Ukrainian forces countering Russia’s military machine.

However, arms contracts are an important element of the overall income for the national defense industry and the country’s state budget - a portfolio of international deals provides billions of dollars of much-needed forex earnings for the national economy.

One of the most important and widely discussed deals in the package of contracts is the supply of fifty Oplot main battle tanks to the Kingdom of Thailand. For more than six years, Ukraine has been struggling to fulfill its obligations.





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