Ukraine to send another batch of 40 BTR-4 8x8 armoured personnel carrier vehicle to Iraq 0902132

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Defence News - Ukraine
 
 
Saturday, February 9, 2013, 11:54 AM
 
Ukraine to send another batch of 40 BTR-4 8x8 armoured personnel carrier vehicles to Iraq.
Ukraine is preparing to send to Iraq a batch of 40 BTR-4 armored personnel carriers assembled in Kharkiv under a big Ukrainian-Iraqi contract for military hardware. Representatives of the Defense Ministry of Iraq signed on Thursday a certificate of acceptance of another batch of armored vehicles, Interfax-Ukraine learned at the state-run arms exporter Ukrspecexport.
     
Ukraine is preparing to send to Iraq a batch of 40 BTR-4 armored personnel carriers assembled in Kharkiv under a big Ukrainian-Iraqi contract for military hardware. Representatives of the Defense Ministry of Iraq signed on Thursday a certificate of acceptance of another batch of armored vehicles, Interfax-Ukraine learned at the state-run arms exporter Ukrspecexport.
The Ukrainian-made BTR-4 8x8 armoured vehicle personnel carrier is already in service with the Iraqi Army since 2011.
     

The Iraqi officials said that they were satisfied with the cooperation under the contract with their Ukrainian partners as well as the performances of the new Ukrainian armored vehicles.

“The tests [of the armored carriers] were successful. No serious problems have been identified. We are pleased with the cooperation with the Ukrainian partners. Iraq operates the Ukrainian produced BTR-4s, which were earlier shipped to the country, in the toughest field conditions. This is a new advanced machine for the Iraqi army,” Ukrspecexport quoted the Iraqi delegates as saying.

For its part, the Ukroboronprom state concern said the Ukrainian side will continue to comply with its contract obligations.

“Despite the significantly stricter requirements of the Iraqi side for acceptance of this batch of BTR-4s, in which each vehicle was tested under a special program, the customer had no serious complaints about the machines delivered to them. Now, the main task is to create effective customer maintenance to service the vehicles delivered to the Iraqi customer,” the state concern said.

As reported, a contract worth over $550 million for the supply of the Ukrainian military hardware to Iraq was concluded in 2009. In particular, Ukraine was to supply Iraq with six An-32 light transport aircraft and 420 BTR-4 armored personnel carriers.

Among the key Ukrainian contractors are the Kharkiv-based Morozov design and engineering bureau, the Kharkiv engine design bureau, and the Malyshev plant, all of which belong to the Ukroboronprom concern, as well as Kyiv-based Antonov enterprise.Deliveries of the aircraft were finished in 2012.

Iraq received the first batch of 26 BTR-4s in spring 2011 and the second batch of 62 vehicles in autumn 2012.

Earlier, Iraqi Ambassador to Ukraine Shorsh Khalid Said told Interfax-Ukraine that Kyiv and Baghdad were preparing for the signing of an intergovernmental agreement on military and technical cooperation between Ukraine and Iraq. “The countries are expected to sign an agreement on military and technical cooperation, which will give an impetus to the development of our relations,” the ambassador said.