Defense War News Updates: Sudan

Saturday, April 14, 2012

DTN News - SPECIAL REPORT ~ AFRICA CONFLICT NEWS: Sudan Army Advancing, ‘So Many Bodies At The Front Line’

Defense War News Updates: DTN News - SPECIAL REPORT ~ AFRICA CONFLICT NEWS: Sudan Army Advancing, ‘So Many Bodies At The Front Line’

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Abdelmoneim Abu Edris Ali, Agence France-Presse / National Post
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 13, 2012: Sudan’s army said on Friday it has launched a counter-attack towards Heglig town in its main oil-producing region, which South Sudanese forces seized earlier this week.

“Now we are moving towards Heglig town” and are “close,” army spokesman Sawarmi Khaled Saad said in a statement.

“The situation in Heglig is going to end in coming hours,” he told reporters, adding that South Sudan had tried but failed to control “all of South Kordofan state.”

Malaak Ayuen, deputy spokesman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in the South, said his forces had expected a fight-back.

“Yes we know they are moving towards Heglig,” he said. “But there is no problem … Let them come”.

World powers have urged restraint after the latest round of heavy fighting that broke out on Tuesday with waves of aerial bombardment hitting the South, whose troops seized the Heglig region from Khartoum’s army.

Southern President Salva Kiir and his Khartoum counterpart, Omar al-Bashir, have accused each other of seeking war, prompting a UN Security Council call for an immediate ceasefire.

Sudan had vowed to react with “all means” against a three-pronged attack it said was launched by South Sudanese forces.

The clashes, the worst since South Sudan won independence in July after one of Africa’s longest civil wars, have brought the two former foes the closest yet to a return to outright war.

Neither army has provided casualty figures but one Southern soldier in Bentiu said earlier: “There are so many bodies at the front line, so many dead” that it is impossible to bury them or bring them back.

When the South separated, Khartoum lost about 75 percent of its oil production and billions of dollars in revenue, leaving the Heglig area as its main producer. Its output roughly fulfilled domestic requirements.

But Tuesday’s attack caused a total production shutdown in the area, said Ahmed Haroun, governor of South Kordofan state, in which Heglig is located.

Despite international calls, Juba has refused to withdraw from Heglig unless certain conditions are met, including Khartoum’s pullout from the neighbouring Abyei region it holds and which, like Heglig, is claimed by both sides.

International arbitrators ruled three years ago that Heglig was not part of Abyei, a decision the South agreed with although it does not concede that Heglig is therefore northern.

Kiir, in a speech to parliament on Thursday, said Bashir had “announced a total war with the Republic of South Sudan.”

And Bashir said South Sudan had “chosen the path of war, implementing plans dictated by foreign parties who supported them during the civil war.”

Parliaments in the two nations have called on citizens to take up defences in case of war.

Journalists are not allowed to report independently in South Kordofan, but an AFP reporter on a government-run trip saw soldiers on Thursday lined up at the airport in the provincial capital Kadugli.

Several military trucks and three attack helicopters were seen along with a large transport aircraft.

The unrest has prompted Khartoum to pull out of African Union-led crisis talks aimed at resolving the protracted dispute with Juba over oil, border demarcation, contested areas and citizenship issues.

In January, the landlocked South shut crude production — which made up 98 percent of its income — after Khartoum began seizing Southern oil in lieu of compensation for use of its export terminal and other facilities.

This week’s clashes follow border fighting that erupted last month between the neighbours, and which each side has blamed the other for starting.

World powers, including the African Union, United Nations, United States and China, have called for restraint and voiced deep concern at the escalation of violence.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Abdelmoneim Abu Edris Ali, Agence France-Presse / National Post
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com
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Wednesday, July 20, 2011

DTN News - AFRICA DEFENSE NEWS: Africa Increases Imports of Ukrainian Arms

Defense War News Updates: DTN News - AFRICA DEFENSE NEWS: Africa Increases Imports of Ukrainian Arms

**Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo have bought a total of 250 T-55 and T-72 tanks. The T-72, first produced in the Soviet Union in the 1970s, has been widely exported to many African, Asian and Middle Eastern nations.

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Ukrspetsexport

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - July 20, 2011: Africa imported $956.7 million of Ukrainian armaments in 2010, an increase of about 20 percent over the previous year, Ukrainian government figures indicate.

"The portfolio of contracts signed by state-run arms exporter Ukrspetsexport increased in value from $799.5 million in 2009 to $956.7 million (in 2010)," said Ukraine's State Service for Export Control.

The 2009 figures represented a 14 percent increase over Ukrspetsexport's 2008 sales.

Africa's leading purchasers of Ukrainian weaponry are Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kommersant-Ukraine newspaper reported Monday.

The two countries bought a total of 250 T-55 and T-72 tanks. The T-72, first produced in the Soviet Union in the 1970s, has been widely exported to many African, Asian and Middle Eastern nations.

Oil-rich Sudan, currently fighting a number of insurgent groups along with Khartoum's campaign in Darfur, also bought Grad multiple rocket launchers, 122-mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers, 152-mm 1S3 Akatsia self-propelled howitzers, D-30 howitzers, 82-mm mortars and a masses of small arms, including 10,000 Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifles.

Last month Ukrspetsexport signed a $100 million contract with the Ethiopian Defense Ministry on the delivery of more than 200 T-72 tanks, one of the largest contracts Ukrspetsexport has signed in the last 15 years. Ukrspetsexport is expecting the contract to generate additional business in the form of further orders for the repair and upkeep of the tanks.

The Ukrainian arms sales to Africa have aroused criticism as they are seen as fueling Africa's rampant civil wars. Former Ukrspetsexport Director Sergei Bondarchuk criticized the State Service for Export Control data as unrealistic.

"I don't trust these figures," Bondarchuk said. "As far as I know, we only signed an option for a previous contract with Sudan last year and the rest are ongoing deliveries under contracts signed by the previous team."

Documents released by WikiLeaks indicate the U.S. government expressed concern about Ukrainian arms exports to African nations.

One leaked document stated that during U.S.-Ukraine non-proliferation talks in Kiev in November 2009, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Vann Van Diepen claimed that Ukrspetsexport had sold tanks to South Sudan, despite assurances to the contrary and provided the Ukrainian negotiators with evidence of the sales.

Another leaked cable noted, "Van Diepen showed the Ukrainians clear satellite imagery of T-72 tanks unloaded in Kenya, transferred to rail yards for onward shipment, and finally in South Sudan. This led to a commotion on the Ukrainian side."

Ukrspetsexport not only sells the products of the Ukrainian arms industry but also the excess weaponry of the armed forces of Ukraine inherited from the Soviet army.

The T-72 Ural main battle tank was developed as a cheaper and more reliable, however less capable alternative to the T-64. It entered service with Soviet army in 1973. A total of 30 000 tanks of this type were produced in the Soviet Union, China, Czechoslovakia, India, Romania and Yugoslavia. It was exported to about 30 countries. At the end of 1990s Russia operated around 9 000 of these main battle tanks.

The T-72 is protected by composite armor. Some sources claim that front armor of the T-72 is equivalent to 500-600 mm. Side armor provides protection against IFV and helicopter cannons. Later production models were fitted with side skirts. The T-72 is completed with NBC protection system and automatic fire extinguishing equipment.

This main battle tank is completed with a 125-mm smoothbore gun, fitted with new carousel-type autoloader. Previous autoloader on the T-64 was unreliable and had a number of other drawbacks. However autoloader of the T-72 was slower than that, used on the T-64. Rate of fire is 8 rounds per minute, or 1 - 2 rounds per minute, when loaded manually. A total of 39 rounds for the main gun are carried. Effective range of fire with APFSDS round is about 2 000 - 3 000 day and 850 - 1 300 m at night. Armor penetration is about 590 - 630 mm at 2 000 m range.

Secondary armament consists of coaxial 7.62-mm machine gun and 12.7-mm machine gun, mounted on top of the roof in the opened mount.

Vehicle has a crew of three, including commander, gunner and driver.

The T-72 is powered by a V-46 diesel engine, developing 780 horsepower. This main battle tank is completed with a self-entrenching blade and can dig trench during 12-40 minutes, depending on the ground type. When not in use this self-entrenching blade provides additional protection for the front of the hull. Vehicle is fitted with a deep wading kit and can ford water obstacles up to 5 meters deep.

Variants

T-72 Ural-1 with improved armor protection;

T-72 Ural-K command tank with navigation equipment and additional communication equipment;

T-72A has a number of improvements;

T-72AK command version of the T-72A;

T-72AV fitted with explosive reactive armor;

T-72M export model of the T-72A;

T-72B with thicker turret armor;

T-72BK command version of the T-72B;

T-72B1 has no capability to launch anti-tank guided missiles;

T-72S export version of the T-72B;

T-72S1 export version of the T-72B1;

T-72BM fitted with second generation explosive reactive armor;

T-90 further development of the T-72. It uses a well-proven hull of the T-72 and turret with all weapon systems of the T-80U. Also it has a number of other improvements. It was accepted to service with the Russian Army in 1993;

PT-91 Twardy improved Polish version of the T-72;

TR-125 Romanian version of the T-72;

M-84 former Yugoslavian version of the T-72;

Other variants are:

BREM-1 armored recovery vehicle;

BREM-2 armored recovery vehicle;

MTU-72 armored bridgelayer;

IMR-2 combat engineering vehicle;

BMR-3M mine clearing vehicle;

BMPT tank support combat vehicle;

BMO-T specialized heavy armored personnel carrier;

2S19 Msta-S 152-mm self-propelled howitzer.

CURRENT OPERATORS OF T-72 MBT (WIKIPEDIA)

T-72 operators in bright red, former operators in dark red.

Hungarian T-72 tanks.

This list does not include operators of the Yugoslavian M-84.

Abkhazia – 40
Algeria – 500
Angola – 22 T-72M1 bought from Belarus in 1999.^[1]
Armenia – 160^[2]
Azerbaijan – 180 T-72A en T-72B in 2003.^[2]
Belarus – 1,465 T-72B.^[3]^[4]
Bulgaria – 160 T-72M2 and a large number (some 270) in reserve.^[5]
Cuba – About 50 Т-72М1 ^[2]
Czech Republic – 543 inherited from former Czechoslovakia in 1993. 179 T-72 main battle tanks in service as of 1 January 2008.
Djibouti – 42 bought from Yemen.
Ethiopia – 50 bought from Yemen, 200 reportedly ordered from Ukraine in 2011.^[6]
Georgia – 50 T-72A and T-72M1 in 2004. 140 T-72A, T-72M1 and T-72B in 2005. 170 T-72M1, T-72B and T-72Sim1 in 2007. Approximately 200 T-72B1 and T-72Sim1 in 2008, 169 Т-72B1 and T-72Sim1 as of 2009.^[7]
Hungary – 195 T-72M and T-72M1 in 2009. To be retired after 2010.^[2]
India – 1,900 T-72M and T-72M1 as of 2008^[8]
Iran – 480 T-72M1 and T-72S since 2002.
Iraq – 1000 T-72s, T-72Ms, T-72M1s, Lion of Babylon and Saddam tanks were in service with Iraqi Army in 1990. 375 T-72s, T-72Ms, T-72M1s, Lion of Babylon and Saddam tanks were in service with Iraqi Regular Army in 2003. Only 120 T-72M1 are in service as of 2009 with the new Iraqi Army.
Kazakhstan - 980^[9]
Kenya – 77 T-72AV from Ukraine in 2007. 33 delivered in Feb 2009 may bring total to 110.
Kyrgyzstan - 215^[10]
Libya – 150 in 2003.^[2]
Macedonia – 30 T-72A and 1 T-72AK from Ukraine.
Morocco – 200
Myanmar – 139 T-72S
North Korea – Probably a T-72S was sold to the North Koreans in the early 1990s.^[11]
Poland – 586 T-72M1 and T-72M1D^[12] (2006, 2007 - 597,^[13] 2005 - 644, 2004 - 649 ^[14] ) and 135 T-72M1Z^[12]^[15] (T-72M1 upgraded to PT-91 standard) (Also 98 PT-91 in service) Plans to withdraw the T-72M1 in 2018.
Russia – 1,200 in active service, 8000 in reserve^[16]
Slovakia – 272 T-72M and T-72M1.
South Sudan – 32 T-72s from the MV Faina as well as 67 T-72s from previous arms shipments.^[17]
South Ossetia – 10 Used during in the 2008 South Ossetia War.
Syria – 1,600^[18]
Tajikistan - 44^[19]
Turkmenistan - 702^[20]
Ukraine – 1,180^[21]
Uzbekistan – 70^[22]
Venezuela – 92 T-72BM ordered
Vietnam – 480 T-72M1 in the 2005, supplied by Poland.
Yemen – 39 in 2003.^[2]