Pushed by the Niger coup, Nigeria is seeking to reinforce its military arsenal with new Russian tanks, and due to the escalation of security concerns in the African Sahel region following the ECOWAS decision to intervene militarily in Niamey to restore President Mohamed Bazoum to power.
According to the “Africa Military” website, Abuja has begun negotiations with Moscow to obtain the Russian T-90-M main battle tanks, nicknamed “Borev”, meaning “breakthrough”, due to its security concerns fueled by the Niger coup, and the political instability in the countries. neighborhood.
Nigeria is the main military force in the West African Group of States “ECOWAS” as a leading regional power, and its army ranks 36th among the 145 largest armies in the world and ranks 4th in Africa and first in “ECOWAS”.
According to an expert on African affairs and another Russian who spoke to Sky News Arabia, following the Niger coup and the ECOWAS decision to intervene militarily, and given that Abuja is the striking military force as well as its presidency of the organization, strengthening its military arsenal is urgent to maintain stability in neighboring countries and prevent Expansion of terrorist organizations in the region.
Military intervention is the most prominent option
On Monday, the Nigerian presidency said that military intervention in Niger is the last option, saying that the pressure on the Niger economy and the rebels has begun to bear fruit.
According to the Nigerian presidential spokesman, Aguri Ngilali, in an interview with the Nigerian channel “Channels TV”, all options are on the table to ensure Niger’s return to the democratic system.
What is the tank plan?
Nigeria and Russia have strong bilateral relations in the field of military procurement. In August 2021, the two countries signed a military-technical cooperation agreement, according to the Africa Military website.
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The website said that a high-ranking Nigerian military official participated during the recent Russian international military-technical forum and revealed those negotiations and his country’s determination to equip its armed forces with the latest weapons.
He added that Nigeria has continuously invested large sums of money in acquiring Russian-made weapons, including MiG-21 combat aircraft, Mil-Me helicopters, Kalashnikov assault rifles, and T-72 and T-4 main battle tanks. 55″.
In April 2017, the Nigerian Air Force received two Mil Mi-35M attack helicopters. In 2018, Abuja received Russian-made attack helicopters as part of a batch of 12. The purchase of T-90 tanks represents a continuation of Nigeria’s tradition of operating Russian-made main battle tanks. The country’s military history began with Russian tanks, with the T-72 and T-55 tanks. The Nigerian Armed Forces currently possess 319 main battle tanks, including 100 Russian T-55 tanks, 10 T-72AV tanks, and 31 T-72M1 tanks. It also has 172 British Mk3 tanks and about 30 Chinese VT4 tanks.
What is the Russian “T-90” tank?
According to specialized military sites, it is expected that the Russian “T-90” tanks will complement the current fleet of military vehicles in Nigeria.
Russian President Vladimir Putin described this tank as the best in the world, as it is considered one of the most powerful and modern tanks, and it entered service in 1993.
It was exported to several countries such as India, Algeria, Iraq and Syria. It is 9.53 meters long, 3.78 meters wide, and 2.22 meters high. And its weight: 46.5 tons. It has a 125 mm guided missile launch system that can fire various munitions from jet, mortar or anti-tank missiles. It has a double 7.62 mm machine gun and another 12.7 mm anti-aircraft gun. It reaches a speed of 70 kilometers on land and 10 kilometers per hour on water, with a range of 550 kilometers at a speed of 60 kilometers per hour. It uses a dynamic protection system called “Contact-5” and another called “Shtora” consisting of radars, electronic devices and anti-missiles to disable guided missiles or mortar shells. It has a protection system against nuclear, chemical and biological weapons consisting of filters, anti-radiation and toxic gases, and includes the “Soren” electronic jamming system On remote controls, radars or satellites, Russian military expert Vladimir Igor told Sky News Arabia that the T-90 tank is the pride of Russian military industries and has several combat missions such as breaking hostile defenses, supporting infantry, securing liberated areas or Countering counterattacks. Nigeria follows a strategic approach by obtaining the latest weapons from several countries to diversify its military capabilities and strengthen its defenses. Its acquisition of the “T-90” in light of the Niger crisis and the decision of ECOWAS to intervene militarily guarantees it superiority in the potential battle. It participated in several wars such as Chechnya, Georgia and Syria and proved its effectiveness. It is a third-generation tank with strength and modernity, and it was designed with an advanced system and effective armament. As for the academic and specialist in African affairs, Idris Ayat, he told “Sky News Arabia”: The chances of military intervention are very slim, especially since the “ECOWAS” deadline has expired, indicating that the Senate in Nigeria refused to grant the country’s president a mandate to use force against Niger. Nigeria’s intervention in Niger will have heavy political costs for the regime of Nigerian President Paula Tinubu
The military council in Niger will defend its country, and its call to Burkina Faso and Mali to intervene will turn the intervention into a regional war that will engulf all West African countries.
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2023-08-28 17:41:34
