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The Iraqi MoD released this photograph on 29 November showing that BMP-1s are in service with the 9th Armoured Division's 34th Brigade. Source: Iraqi MoD
The Iraqi Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 16 December that it had received a consignment of tanks, armoured vehicles, and ammunition from Bulgaria. It provided no further details.
The announcement came after photographs began circulating on social media showing a T-72 tank and as many as 12 BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) that had purportedly been delivered to Iraq.
A deal to supply Iraq with 500 refurbished MT-LB armoured vehicles was announced by the Bulgarian prime minister in 2012 but the export data the country has subsequently filed with the UN only recorded the delivery of one MT-LB in 2012-2014, presumably for test and evaluation purposes.
Bulgaria donated 18 D-20 howitzers to Iraq in addition to 130 mortars of various calibres in 2014.
Previous consignments of T-72 tanks and BMP-1 IFVs have been supplied to Iraq by the Czech defence company Excalibur Army.
Excalibur declined to confirm or deny whether it was involved in the latest consignment.
"All I can confirm is that Excalibur Army continues to fulfil its contract with the Iraqi Ministry of Defence to supply refurbished T-72 main battle tanks and BVP-1 [Czechoslovakian-built BMP-1] infantry fighting vehicles, deliveries of which began earlier this year and will continue over a period of time that we together with the customer have agreed not to specify," Excalibur spokesperson Andrej Cirtek told IHS Jane's on 17 December.
"I cannot rule out that the platforms the Iraqi defence ministry recently took delivery of from Bulgaria were supplied by another source," he said.
Cirtek confirmed to IHS Jane's in early February that Excalibur Army signed a contract with the Iraqi MoD to supply a mixture of 100 and T-72s and BVP-1s over several years and claimed that both parties agreed not to disclose the value of the contract. The contract also covers spare parts and services, including the training of Iraqi Army technicians to maintain the vehicles.
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Iraq receives more T-72s, BMP-1s | IHS Jane's 360