Pakistan and Russia Reportedly in Talks to Upgrade Pakistan’s T-80UDs
Pakistan is reportedly planning to sign a contract with Russia that would see Russia upgrade the Pakistan Army’s T-80UD main battle tanks (MBT).[1]
Speaking to Russian News Agency RIA Novosti on the sidelines of the 2018 International Military-Technical Forum (Army 2018), a Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) official, Brigadier Nauman Anwar, stated:
“We have purchased T-80 tanks from Ukraine that would like to modernize to the modern state … in a few months negotiations will end and we will be able to exchange specialists, who will come to Pakistan and help us modernize armored vehicles.”[2]
The Pakistan Army operates 320 T-80UD MBTs, which it had ordered from Ukraine in 1996 for $650 million US. However in 2016-2017, it had appeared that Ukraine would upgrade Pakistan’s T-80UDs, especially as Pakistan had signed a contract with Ukraine in March 2017 to supply 88 tank sights and undertake a pilot program for upgrading five of the T-80UDs.[3] In November 2016, Pakistan had also signed a memorandum-of-understanding (MoU) worth $600 million US which had planned for upgrades (and 200 new engines).[4]
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