The Merkava flagships are being bought by two unnamed countries, one of which is in Europe. The agreement is on the verge of final signing.
Israeli authorities are negotiating the sale of their flagship Merkava tank to two countries, one of which is in Europe. This was reported on Thursday, June 15, by Reuters, citing a representative of the country’s Ministry of Defense. The Israeli edition of Ynet reports that we are talking about the sale of hundreds of tanks.
A spokesman for the Israeli Defense Ministry told reporters that the record demand for Israeli products is partly due to the countries’ desire to replenish their arsenals after supplying weapons to Ukraine for the war with Russia. As a result, Israel is exporting surplus systems it has never sold abroad, including the previous generation Merkava.
“There are two promising countries with which we are conducting preliminary negotiations (on the sale of tanks),” said a spokesman for the Israeli Defense Ministry. “I’m not allowed to name them, but one of them is on the continent of Europe.”
The Merkava Mark 2 and 3 tanks in question were manufactured in Israel in the 1980s and 1990s and have been withdrawn from service in recent years. Ynet reported that after the start of the war in Ukraine, they were tested and deemed suitable for sale.
It was noted that the agreement is on the verge of final signing and is expected to be concluded relatively quickly – in about three months. Its cost will be several tens of millions of dollars for all tanks.
Recall that last year Israel sold weapons worth a record $12.5 billion. About a quarter of arms export contracts to foreign armies are contracts for the supply of attack and reconnaissance drones.
It was previously reported that Israel will transfer 20 PULS multiple launch rocket systems to the Netherlands.
Earlier it was reported that Israel will provide the Netherlands with 20 jet systems salvo fire PULSE.
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.