27 Oktober 2020
Elbit will supply nine 8×8 Infantry Fighting Vehicles and ten 6×6 IFVs (photo : Elbit Systems)
Ghana to procure armored vehicles from Elbit
Ghana to procure armored vehicles from Elbit
Sources in Ghana reported that Ghana’s parliament approved $86.1 million in government loans to fund acquisition of 19 armored vehicles from Israel’s Elbit Land Systems. The company will supply nine 8×8 Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs) equipped with Elbit Systems UT30 30 mm remotely operated turrets. The order includes ten 6×6 IFVs fitted for reconnaissance operations.
According to South Africa's defenceWeb news site, there is an agreement in place between the Israeli Discount Bank and the Government of Ghana, with the deal insured by the Israeli Foreign Trade Risks Insurance Corporation. A $74 million credit facility will be combined with a $12 million commercial loan. Although the loan has been approved, the deal is currently officially in the negotiation stage and requires parliamentary approval.
There is no information about the type of vehicles to be acquired, but Elbit Systems offers various models sourced from original equipment manufacturers, such as the Sentinel 8×8, based on the STK Terrex 2 designed by ST Kinetics of Singapore.
Ghanaian MPs said that the purpose of purchasing these vehicles is to help the army deal with potential terrorism, human smuggling and other security threats along the northern border with Burkina Faso. The acquisition will help Ghana’s military realize long-delayed establishment of two new armored regiments to be based in Sunyani and Tamale.
The Army Recognition website said that Ghana's armed forces are currently equipped with three EE-9 Cascavels, 24 Ratel-90s with 90mm cannon, 15 Ratel-20s with 20mm cannon, four Piranhas with 25mm cannon, five Type-05Ps with 25mm cannon, and 46 first-version Piranha 8x8 armored vehicles.