Last in january 2021 the israeli company
albert systems announced that it has
been awarded a 172 million u.s dollars
contract to supply an undisclosed number
of saabrah light tanks and pander two
direct fire support vehicles to the army
of a country in the asia-pacific region.
According to information from colonel
anthony the armored division's chief of
staff of the philippine army, the
acquisition of israeli sabra light tanks
as well as pander 28X8 armored vehicles
armed 105 millimeters and 120
millimeters cannons are part of the
modernization program of the philippine
armed forces. According to the military balance 2020, the philippine army doesn't have combat
vehicles armed with 105 or 120
millimeters. The philippine army only has seven 101
scorpion armed with a 73 millimeters
cannon and also a few M113A1 tracked APC (Armored Personnel Carrier) armed with a
76 millimeters l23A1 gun.
Max Defense philippines also confirmed
that the pa will acquire both tracked
and wheeled platforms of the sabra light
tank system. 18 tracked ascot 2 base tanks and 10
wheeled pandar 28x8 based tanks, plus an
armored command vehicle and armored
recovery vehicle based on the ascod two
vehicles, an unspecified number of 105
millimeters tank ammunition are included
in the deal worth 193.6 million us dollars.
All vehicles are to be equipped with
elbit systems e-linux software-defined
radios, torch battlefield management
system and other equipment. The PA has been undergoing a
modernization effort to improve its
firepower and capability and was said to
be looking to acquire 144 light tanks
and potentially acquire its first main
battle tanks in the next few years.
The saabrah is a light tank based on the
ascod two-track chassis manufactured by
general dynamics european land system
santa barbara. It is fitted with a two-man turret armed
with an Albert Systems land 105
millimeters gun and one 7.62 millimeters
coaxial machine gun. Each side of the turret is equipped with
a bank of four smoke grenade dischargers. The turret drive is fully electric with
elevation and traverse stabilization.
Standard equipment of the saabra turret
includes a fire control system, laser
range finder and one panoramic site with
advanced electro-optic sensors day/night
vision and LRF for effective day/night
and all-weather fighting conditions. The panoramic sight is used for
observation and target aiming. The sabra 105 millimeters gun system is
fitted with an automatic loading system
with 12 rounds ready to fire. It has an effective firing range of
three, 600 m with a rate of fire of six
rounds per minute.
The vehicle carries a total of 36
ammunition with 24 rounds stored in the
hull. the gun can fire a wide range of nato
ammunition including high explosive, high-explosive squash, APF SDS armor piercing fin stabilized
discarding sabo, as well as advanced
ammunition tmphem 110. Philippines to receive 20 israeli light
tanks personnel carriers.
The philippine military has announced
that it is receiving sabra ascot light
tanks and pander two armored personnel
carriers from israel this month in
an ongoing modernization program. The 20 israeli armored vehicles include
105 millimeters guns, 105 millimeters
cannons and automated 120 millimeters
carrier mortars.
according to armored division chief of
staff colonel anthony the new ground
vehicles are real tanks compared to the
country's present armored vehicles, equipped only with low caliber firearms. Those that are arriving will be the
first light tanks for the whole armed
forces because its deployment would be
more, centered on territorial defense, Abrina told Inquirer.net. The current inventory of apcs are for
internal security operations.
When delivery is complete the sabra
ascot light tanks and pander 2 armored
personnel carriers will be turned over
to camp o'donnell in tarlac province. The service will also hire personnel for
maintenance. More military equipment arriving in
addition to the sabrah ascod and pander
two apcs abrina revealed that the
country will take delivery of six
wheeled tanks to replace its
four-wheeled armored vehicles.
He also said that ten more light tanks
are scheduled for delivery by 2023. The philippine military currently
operates more than 400 apcs of different
variants. such as the simba fighting
vehicle V-150 commando, armored infantry
fighting vehicle and the M113A1 and A2. Additionally the southeast asian nation
will receive several south korean weapon
systems and military equipment, including
rocket systems, ammunition and patrol
vessels.
The government has also allocated 62
billion pesos to purchase 32 more S-70 by
black hawk utility helicopters from
polish aerospace manufacturer PZL Milak
and six offshore patrol vessels from
australian shipbuilding for
mostel. Meanwhile the philippine air
force announced that it will receive its
first ever T-129 tactical reconnaissance
and attack helicopter from turkey this
month. The aircraft can carry high-powered
weapons such as anti-tank guided
missiles, air-to-air missiles, rockets and
a 20 millimeters turreted three-barrel
gun system.
The saabrah has further been displayed
with a roof-mounted panoramic sight. It was also reported proposed with Elbitt's C4 system including a battle
management system and the combat NG fire control and command system both of
which are already in service in the
philippine army. The mix of tract and wheeled platforms
suggest that the ascod versions may be
employed with the army's M113 equipped
units and the panders with its wheeled
idco brazil guarani armored vehicle
units.
Indeed a second contract has also been
provided to albert for an additional 28
of the later with a .50 remote weapon
station under the wheeled apc
acquisition project. These elbit contracts follow previous
contracts to the company for adding its
orcws to army M113A2s. The light tank project has been ongoing
since 2015 and has included
consideration of candidates from Korean Hanoi, Belgium's Cockrell, Turkey's Otokar, Indonesia's PT Pindad and Elbit with GDELS.
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