Leopard 2A7+ for Saudi Arabia

[Vitamin_C]

You seriously lack a great deal of knowledge in the aspect of military and military equipment. So I am going to give you a few months to go and read on the subject fully. And then we will have a productive debate . Till then have a good one.

I am sorry to disturb you from your dream world... but you have to educate yourself about the facts my friend... So i will give a few days to go over this.

Rank Country Expenditures on R&D
(billions of US$, PPP) % of GDP PPP Year Source
1 United States 405.3 2.7% 2011 [2]
2 China 153.7 1.4% 2011 [2]
3 Japan 144.1 3.3% 2011 [2]
4 Germany 69.5 2.3% 2011 [2]
5 South Korea 44.8 3.0% 2011 [2]
6 France 42.2 1.9% 2011 [2]
7 United Kingdom 38.4 1.7% 2011 [2]
8 India 36.1 0.9% 2011 [2]
9 Canada 24.3 1.8% 2011 [2]
10 Russia 23.1 1.0% 2011 [2]
11 Brazil 19.4 0.9% 2011 [2]
12 Italy 19.0 1.1% 2011 [2]
13 Taiwan 19.0 2.3% 2011 [2]
14 Spain 17.2 1.3% 2011 [2]
15 Australia 15.9 1.7% 2011 [2]
16 Sweden 11.9 3.3% 2011 [2]
17 Netherlands 10.8 1.6% 2011 [2]
18 Israel 9.4 4.2% 2011 [2]
19 Austria 8.3 2.5% 2011 [2]
20 Switzerland 7.5 2.3% 2011 [2]
21 Belgium 6.9 1.7% 2011 [2]
22 Turkey 6.9 0.7% 2011 [2]
23 Poland 6.9 0.9% 2011 [2]
24 Mexico 6.4 0.4% 2011 [2]
25 Finland 6.3 3.1% 2011 [2]
26 Singapore 6.3 2.2% 2011 [2]
27 Iran 6.2 0.7% 2010 [3]
28 Denmark 5.1 2.4% 2011 [2]
29 Norway 4.2 1.6% 2011 [2]
30 Czech Republic 3.8 1.4% 2011 [2]
31 South Africa 3.7 0.7% 2011 [2]
32 Portugal 2.8 1.2% 2011 [2]
33 Ukraine 2.75 0.85% 2007 [4]
34 Pakistan 2.73 ‡ 0.67% 2007 [4]
35 Argentina 2.7 0.4% 2011 [2]
36 Ireland 2.6 1.4% 2011 [2]
37 Malaysia 2.6 0.63% 2010 [5]
38 Greece 1.7 0.6% 2011 [2]
39 Hungary 1.7 0.9% 2011 [2]
40 Thailand 1.46 0.25% 2010 [5]
41 New Zealand 1.4 1.2% 2011 [2]
42 Romania 1.3 0.5% 2011 [2]
43 Chile 1.22 0.53% 2007 [4]
44 Belarus 1.02 0.96% 2007 [4]
45 Egypt 0.91 0.23% 2007 [4]
46 Slovenia 0.8 1.4% 2011 [2]
47 Morocco 0.76 0.6% 2007 [4]
48 Indonesia 0.72 0.07% 2010 [5]
49 Croatia 0.7 0.81% 2007 [4]
50 Luxembourg 0.67 1.62% 2007 [4]
51 Tunisia 0.66 0.86% 2007 [6]
52 Colombia 0.6 0.16% 2007 [4]
53 Vietnam 0.52 0.19% 2010 [5]
54 Slovak Republic 0.5 0.4% 2011 [2]
55 Lithuania 0.47 0.82% 2007 [4]
56 Bulgaria 0.44 0.48% 2007 [4]
57 Kazakhstan 0.38 0.21% 2007 [4]
58 Estonia 0.36 1.11% 2007 [4]
59 Iceland 0.3 2.3% 2011 [2]
60 Philippines 0.29 0.09% 2007 [4]
61 Uruguay 0.272 0.42% 2007 [4]
62 Saudi Arabia 0.271 0.05% * 2007 [4]
63 Serbia 0.25 0.35% 2007 [4]
64 Peru 0.24 0.1% 2007 [4]
65 Latvia 0.23 0.59% 2007 [4]
66 Sudan 0.18 0.23% 2007 [4]
67 Algeria 0.16 0.07% 2007 [4]
68 Costa Rica 0.15 0.32% 2007 [4]
69 Uganda 0.13 0.39% 2007 [4]
70 Azerbaijan 0.11 0.17% 2007 [4]
71 Botswana 0.11 0.42% 2007 [4]
72 Ethiopia 0.1 0.17% 2007 [4]


Saudis are spending $271 million on R&D. Now compare that with $$$ spent on acquiring foreign equipment.
According to Saudi policy, the Govt is going to rely on foreign equipment for at-least another 2 decades before they increase the R&D to 2% of GDP. I hope they do not run out of Oil by then. Saudi Economy is not very stable as it is dependent on oil prices.
If you do not understand this I will explain it for you.

Source: Wikipedia

 

[killerx]

Saudi Arabia is really upgrading there weapons but it would be much better they build of there own may be built them on transfer of technology as the leading as the leading Muslim nation they should be self relaying

 

[Banu Umayyah]

You need to update your non existing information my friend.
Saudi Arabia: 2012 R&D as % GDP= 0.25%. 2012 GERD PPP Bil, U.S. $= 1.8. Rank= 38
In a period of five years SA increased by 500% and moved up 44 ranks bypassing some European countries by percentage of GDP.
Just because your country's GDP equals the GDP of my neighborhood back in Riyadh it doesn't mean you go around making up facts to overcompensate your country's inadequacy.
http://www.rdmag.com/Featured-Artic...th-Continues-While-Globalization-Accelerates/

 

[BLACKEAGLE]

* Leopard has weaker front armor than Abrams.
* Leopard has more weakened zones than Abrams (large gun mask, sight area).

2. Protection levels for US MBT's are larger than usually quoted because the US standard is for a 30 degrees oblique shot. To return to US Army style measurements divide all figures on chart by 1.15. NII Stali estimate M1A1HA turret at 700mm versus KE, 850mm versus CE for a 30 degrees oblique shot. GSPO/BTVT estimates M1A1 at 480-500 versus KE and 790-840 versus CE, M1A1HA at 530-550 versus KE and 750-780 versus CE, M1A2 at 770 versus KE and 1000-1200 versus CE.

16. Some Russian estimates give the Leopard 2 frontal protection of 700mm vs KE and 850mm vs CE. See �����-���� ������� ������� :: ������������� ���������� - ����� � ������ ������ ������ Others estimate Leopard 2 as 380-400 versus KE and 650-700 versus CE. BTVT estimates Leopard 2A4 (1988) at 580 versus KE and 1100 versus CE and Leopard 2A5 (1994) at 830 versus KE and 1300 versus CE.

Leopard 2A5

vs KE (mm)
Turret: 850-930
Glacis:620
Lower front hull:620

vs CE (mm)
Turret: 1730-1960
Glacis:750
Lower front hull:750

M1A2 SEP

vs KE (mm)
Turret: 940-960 Glacis:560-590
Lower front hull:580-650

vs CE (mm)
Turret: 1320-1620 Glacis:510-1050
Lower front hull:800-970

 

[Vitamin_C]

You need to update your non existing information my friend.
Saudi Arabia: 2012 R&D as % GDP= 0.25%. 2012 GERD PPP Bil, U.S. $= 1.8. Rank= 38
In a period of five years SA increased by 500% and moved up 44 ranks bypassing some European countries by percentage of GDP.
Just because your country's GDP equals the GDP of my neighborhood back in Riyadh it doesn't mean you go around making up facts to overcompensate your country's inadequacy.
2012 Global R&D Funding Forecast: R&D Spending Growth Continues While Globalization Accelerates | R&D Mag

I do not make facts, mine were correct but not updated. I do not know if you are talking about UAE or Pakistan. Because both have GDP higher than Riyadh $107BN. Abu Dhabi and Karachi has a GDP of over $80bn each. Back to topic.
Saudi Arabia population is roughly twice that of Karachi and Economy is roughly equal to that of the city of Chicago.
In simple words the point you are trying to make is Your govt has increased expenditure on R&D from $622 million in 2010 to 1.8 billion in 2012. It is a good improvement but still a very insignificant figure when you compare it with the money spent on import of weapons. Saudi is starting from scratch. Other countries are still centuries ahead...
Another thing is Saudi is selling Oil for Dollars and not for Riyals. By doing this Saudis are importing American inflation. They cannot bring the dollars home because of American pressure, which is probably why they are opting for weapons that Americans are selling at a standard lower than theirs. Those jets probably have higher utility than American IOUs as a deterrent. Americans are not your friends.

2. Protection levels for US MBT's are larger than usually quoted because the US standard is for a 30 degrees oblique shot. To return to US Army style measurements divide all figures on chart by 1.15. NII Stali estimate M1A1HA turret at 700mm versus KE, 850mm versus CE for a 30 degrees oblique shot. GSPO/BTVT estimates M1A1 at 480-500 versus KE and 790-840 versus CE, M1A1HA at 530-550 versus KE and 750-780 versus CE, M1A2 at 770 versus KE and 1000-1200 versus CE.

16. Some Russian estimates give the Leopard 2 frontal protection of 700mm vs KE and 850mm vs CE. See �����-���� ������� ������� :: ������������� ���������� - ����� � ������ ������ ������ Others estimate Leopard 2 as 380-400 versus KE and 650-700 versus CE. BTVT estimates Leopard 2A4 (1988) at 580 versus KE and 1100 versus CE and Leopard 2A5 (1994) at 830 versus KE and 1300 versus CE.

Leopard 2A5

vs KE (mm)
Turret: 850-930
Glacis:620
Lower front hull:620

vs CE (mm)
Turret: 1730-1960
Glacis:750
Lower front hull:750

M1A2 SEP

vs KE (mm)
Turret: 940-960 Glacis:560-590
Lower front hull:580-650

vs CE (mm)
Turret: 1320-1620 Glacis:510-1050
Lower front hull:800-970

What is the price difference between the Leo and Abrams... I know the Germans make some of the best tanks. The Americans on the other hand like to over do things. I remember reading that you can get 4 Al Khalid tanks for the price of one Abrams tank.

 

[Banu Umayyah]

Another thing is Saudi is selling Oil for Dollars and not for Riyals. .

lol Fail.
The Riyal is a U.S Dollar with King Abdullah's face on it.
Anyway, our defense spending is non of your business. Try to reduce your US aid and your Chinese military weapons while we deal with our own issues.

 

[Vitamin_C]

lol Fail.
The Riyal is a U.S Dollar with King Abdullah's face on it.
Anyway, our defense spending is non of your business. Try to reduce your US aid and your Chinese military weapons while we deal with our own issues.

The Riyal and Dollar are 2 different currencies with different exchange rates. Riyal has been fixed with the dollar, which means when you float it then you will see the true value of the currency. Its worse than importing dollars because, American inflation will directly effect you as your currency is fixed to theirs.
If i compare Pakistani military with Saudi military that wouldn't be fair, your military and politics is decades behind ours.
BTW it is our issue, every penny the Arabs pay for Western weapon, that money goes straight to Israel as military aid. They have to balance it, each gun exported to the Arabs have to be sent to Israel as well as counter balance.
Arabs are living in a state of denial, your supposed to learn from your past mistakes. Sooner or later the Americans will decide to bring their democracy to Bahrain or Qatar or Kuwait. They will do the same with you what they did with Saddam and Shah Faisal.

 

[Arabian Legend]

The Riyal and Dollar are 2 different currencies with different exchange rates. Riyal has been fixed with the dollar, which means when you float it then you will see the true value of the currency. Its worse than importing dollars because, American inflation will directly effect you as your currency is fixed to theirs.
If i compare Pakistani military with Saudi military that wouldn't be fair, your military and politics is decades behind ours.
BTW it is our issue, every penny the Arabs pay for Western weapon, that money goes straight to Israel as military aid. They have to balance it, each gun exported to the Arabs have to be sent to Israel as well as counter balance.
Arabs are living in a state of denial, your supposed to learn from your past mistakes. Sooner or later the Americans will decide to bring their democracy to Bahrain or Qatar or Kuwait. They will do the same with you what they did with Saddam and Shah Faisal.

you cant separate economy and politics one in each own. if the Saudi Riyal is not linked to the dollar then its value will be depends on oil prices and that will result to unstable value of the Saudi currency as oil prices goes up and down which will definitely create chances for others including the west to manipulate the prices of oil to create unsuitability and economic infraction. we always create our own cards to play with in case of need.

speaking of military strength b/t Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is not a proper equation as both countries are not in competition. powerful pakistan means powerful Saudi Arabia.

the rest of your post is pointless no one can touch the land of the two holy sits and death of Shah Faisal is big loos to us and wasn't done by America it was done by his nephew as a revenge to his father whom Shah Faisal kicked out of the country. The west has learned the lesson from turning off the hose in the 70s unless they wanna go back to bicycles again.

 

[LegionnairE]

Because L/55 gun reduces mobility and accuracy.

What mobility? a longer barrel no way can reduce accuracy don't bullsh*t me. L55 gun incerases effective range to six kilometers with better kinetic energy.

Even 120mm L44 gun was adopted from Germans, Americans always sucked when it came to tanks. If it wasn't for Leopard, M1 would be produced with 105mm rifled gun.

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

Gosh saudis act like teenage boys who stole their father's credit card

Having both Abrams and Leopard2 series tanks means they gonna need different spare parts and technical crews for each of those. It will make it twice harder to maintain and supply this state of the art equipment. Having an additional supply line for just 200 tanks is just... amateurish


You can't just go out there and buy anything you like with your petrol money Realize you aren't buying a toys your king's childeren. It'd be wise to do as our israeli friend over here just said; just upgrade your damn Abrams'

Due to the harsh criticism of German opposition to this contract, Saudi decided to rise the number to 700 or 800 for $10 bn which would make it more difficult for German Gov to reject especially with the ongoing economic recessions.

@Blackeagle
Again, I find it funny to see that their first course of action is to throw even more money to cross obstacles

It's just anyway, as i added my above post any sane person would upgrade existing Abrams' to M1A2SEP level before going to shopping

As far as I know they are being upgraded, anyway, they have Abrams in small numbers and need to replace the aging M-60+AMX-30 fleets, and I think Saudis have made the best choice.

Well at least they know where to throw their money

It has something more to do with diversifying the supply sources. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. It maybe a pain in the a$$ to carry two baskets, but it sure is hellova lot safer.

You can do it for extremely important stuff like fighter aircraft maybe. But you can't have two things for everything in an army. Might as well have two armies?

I mean, ther are lot easier ways to secure your one basket.
-Get your sh*t from your allies
-Make your sh*t yourself

After ALTAY's development most of Leopard2s' sub syestems will be replaced by ALTAY sub syestems, superior ones. If you can't do that buy from Pakistan! you probably won't get the best tank in the world but you will get your TOT and full technical assistance.

Anyway, You chose to do it this way. Nobody else can offer a better tank in this planet than Rheinmetall-KMW. I'd pick Leopard2A4 over any variant of Abrams so Leopard2A7+ is way better than anything you can compare it with. As i said at least you threw your money to right place

... And if you want TOT on Leopard2 you can forget it, Germans will never give it to you even if you rain dollars on them Not even if you bring C17 Globemaster load of money

Europeans especially German and French are being so narrow minded sometimes. Try UK, you might even get to secrets of dorchester armor with a right proposal.

No, Seriously?

Don't worry for us...


See all olds links :

http://www.defence.pk/forums/milita...800-leopard-tanks-germany-23.html#post3089936

http://www.defence.pk/forums/milita...800-leopard-tanks-germany-23.html#post3089904

http://www.defence.pk/forums/milita...ee-f-15s-helicopters-more-11.html#post2917685

http://www.defence.pk/forums/milita...ee-f-15s-helicopters-more-11.html#post2917691

http://www.defence.pk/forums/milita...ee-f-15s-helicopters-more-11.html#post2920359

http://www.defence.pk/forums/arab-defence/118240-leopard-2a7-saudi-arabia-2.html#post2995733

http://www.defence.pk/forums/arab-defence/118240-leopard-2a7-saudi-arabia-3.html#post2995752

http://www.defence.pk/forums/arab-defence/118240-leopard-2a7-saudi-arabia-3.html#post2995757

http://www.defence.pk/forums/arab-defence/118240-leopard-2a7-saudi-arabia-3.html#post2996260

http://www.defence.pk/forums/arab-defence/118240-leopard-2a7-saudi-arabia-3.html#post2997203

http://www.defence.pk/forums/arab-defence/118240-leopard-2a7-saudi-arabia-3.html#post2997223

 

[Penguin]

What mobility? a longer barrel no way can reduce accuracy don't bullsh*t me. L55 gun incerases effective range to six kilometers with better kinetic energy.

Even 120mm L44 gun was adopted from Germans, Americans always sucked when it came to tanks. If it wasn't for Leopard, M1 would be produced with 105mm rifled gun.

And that 105mm rifled gun is originally a British gun....

 

[Penguin]

Prove me wrong then. I have history on my side. Even though Pakistan's foreign policy is inconsistent and no body can trust us, experience tells us that US is an unreliable ally for any MiddleEast country except Israel. Even more unreliable supplier of arms.
If Arabs are serious about their defense they should produce their own Systems. It is my opinion that this money was better off spent on research and development.
The Americans make their own weapons, The Europeans make their own, The Russians, Chinese, Israelis, Indians... Even the Iranians are making their own Engines.. Why not the Arabs.

The relation between arms import and arms industry and arms export is neither simple nor straight forward.

Check out lists of top 15 importers and exporters of arms here: Arms industry - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Note that 3 of the biggest importers of arms are also among the biggest exporters and hence producers) of arms: USA, China, South Korea.

Note that while India is the biggest importers of arms and Israel is not on that top 15, and while Israel features as no. 8 exporter while India is not in the top 15 of arms exporters, Hindustan Aeronautics (India) ties Elbit Systems (Israel) in terms of figures for arms sales, total sales and total profit are in millions of US dollars. At places 33 and 34, these 2 companies are the first non-American, non-western companies in the SIPRI top 100 arms producing and military services companies in 2010. Followed respectively by Israel Aerospace Industries (37) and Indian Ordnance Factories (46). The SIPRI Top 100 arms-producing and military services companies, 2010 — www.sipri.org

The Military industry of Egypt is the most important in the Arab world. As early as 1949, Egypt unveiled plans to develop an armaments industry with the industrial base that emerged during World War II when British and American forces placed orders for equipment. During the 1970s and 1980s, Egypt expanded and diversified its production of arms to achieve partial self-sufficiency and to develop an export market in the Middle East and Africa. In addition to manufacturing small arms and ammunition, Egypt had begun producing or assembling more advanced weapons systems through licensing and joint venture agreements with companies based in the United States and Western Europe. Egyptian technicians and scientists developed several indigenous weapons systems.Egypt was involved in supplying the CIA with various weapons for Operation Cyclone and the Soviet Afghan war. The main purchaser of Egyptian defense products had been Saddam's Iraq. Egypt sold a smaller volume of weapons to Kuwait and other Arab States of the Persian Gulf. We all know what happened to Kuwait and later to Saddam's Iraq.

Egyptian Military Industry - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not to mention Iraqi military industry...

Iraqi Military Industry
The Ministry of Industry and Military Industrialization, directed all Iraqi military production. The Government owned all major industries and controls most of the highly centralized economy, which was based largely on oil production. The economy was damaged by the Iran-Iraq and Gulf Wars, and Iraq had been under U.N. sanctions since its 1990 invasion of Kuwait. As a result, the economy had been stagnant. Sanctions ban all exports, except for oil sales under U.N. Security Council Resolution 986 and subsequent resolutions (the " oil-for-food" program). Under the program, Iraq also was permitted, under U.N. control, to import food, medicine, and other humanitarian goods for essential civilian needs, as well as spare parts for the oil sector.

Prior to the 1990-91 Gulf War, Iraq had developed significant ammunition, small and light arms, and gun barrel production facilities, although most industrial development efforts were focused on weapons of mass destruction. By 1987 Iraq was self-sufficient in small calibre ammunition, artillery shells, aircraft bombs, mortar rounds, rocket-propelled grenades, rockets, tube- launched rockets, mortars, propellant, fuses, and replacement barrels. Artillery research is conducted 25 kilometers South of Baghdad in the Al-Badr Factory in the town of Al-Yusufiyah.

With respect to conventional armaments, Iraq did not attempt to develop significant domestic capabilities, and even relied heavily on foreign technical support teams for servicing French and Russian aircraft. Iraq began to upgrade and maintain existing tanks and other armored vehicles. Facilities supporting these activities included Al/Ameen/Yusufiyah, Base West World, possibly Huteen, Taji, Samawa and the Al-Ameer portion of the Aqba bin Nafi State Establishment. The Taji factory complex had doubled in size by 1985, and included a forge capable of producing 1000 artillery barrels per year and armor maintenance and refit plants for the T-54, T-55, and T-62 tanks in the Iraqi inventory. The complex also included facilities for assembly of the T-72, and would eventually build armor and tank bodies. Iraq did import T-72 kits, which were intended to lead to a transition to production, though Iraq appears to lack the industrial base for such production [T-72 production resumed in 1993, assembling tanks from kits provided before the Gulf War]. Prior to 1991, production of defense articles was largely oriented on prototypes and prestige projects.

The long-term combat effectiveness of Iraq's large military forces depended on military production facilities and continued support from its logistical base. Destruction of repair facilities, spare parts supplies, and storage depots would degrade Iraq's combat capability and long-term threat to the region. During the Persian Gulf War, planners knew there were too many targets to be eliminated entirely. For instance, there were seven primary and 19 secondary ammunition storage facilities alone identified on target lists: each was composed of scores of individual storage bunkers. Consequently, Desert Storm planners first destroyed the most threatening production facilities and stored material, then methodically to proceed with attacks on other storage and production facilities as time and assets allowed.

Iraq had been largely cut off from major imports of parts and specialized equipment since 1990, though some dual use items, civilian electronics and computer equipment are not effectively controlled. Black market imports, substitution, and local manufactures provide limited substitute for imported resources.

The Ba'thist regime engaged in extensive central planning and management of industrial production and foreign trade while leaving some small-scale industry and services and most agriculture to private enterprise. The economy has been dominated by the oil sector, which had traditionally provided about 95% of foreign exchange earnings.

According to official Iraqi figures, the total industrial labor force in 1984 consisted of about 170,000 workers. State- operated factories employed slightly more than 80 percent of these workers, while 13 percent worked in the private sector. The remaining 7 percent worked in the mixed economy, which consisted of factories operated jointly by the state--which held a major share of the common stock--and the private sector. Men constituted 87 percent of the industrial work force. According to the Iraqi government, in 1984 there were 782 industrial establishments, ranging in size from small workshops employing 30 workers to large factories with more than 1,000 employees. Of these, 67 percent were privately owned. The private sector owned two-thirds of the factories, but employed only 13 percent of the industrial labor force. Privately owned industrial establishments were, therefore, relatively numerous, but they were also relatively small and more capital-intensive. Only three privately owned factories employed more than 250 workers; the great majority employed fewer than 100 people each. Private-sector plant ownership tended to be dispersed throughout industry and was not concentrated in any special trade, with the exception of the production of metal items such as tools and utensils. Although the private sector accounted for 40 percent of production in this area, the metal items sector itself constituted no more than a cottage industry. Figures published by the Iraqi Federation of Industries claimed that the private sector dominated the construction industry if measurement were based not on the number of employees or on the value of output, but on the amount of capital investment. In 1981, such private- sector capital investment in the construction industry was 57 percent of total investment. By this alternative measurement, private sector involvement in the textile and the food processing industries was above average. In contrast, about fourty-six state-owned factories employed more than 1,000 workers apiece, and several industrial sectors, such as mining and steel production, were entirely state-dominated.

In addition to the nonmetallic minerals industry, several other industries employed significant percentages of the work force. The chemical and petrochemical industry, concentrated at Khawr az Zubayr, was the second largest industrial employer, providing work for 17 percent of the industrial work force. Chemicals and petrochemicals accounted for a relatively high 30 percent of the total value of industrial output because of the high value of raw material inputs and the higher value added-- more than 150 percent.

By the mid-1980s, efforts to upgrade industrial capacity from the extracting and processing of natural resources to heavy industry, to the manufacturing of higher technology and to the production of consumer items were still not fully successful. An iron and steel works built in 1978 by the French company, Creusot-Loire, at Khawr az Zubayr, was expected to attain an annual production level of 1.2 million tons of smelted iron ore and 400,000 tons of steel. Other smelters, foundries, and form works were under construction in 1988. (In 1984 this sector of the economy accounted for less than 2 percent of total output.) Manufacture of machinery and transport equipment accounted for only 6 percent of output value, and value added was fairly low, suggesting that Iraq was assembling imported intermediate components to make finished products. A single factory established in the 1980s with Soviet assistance and located at Al Musayyib, produced tractors. In 1981, Iraq contracted with a company from the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germay) to develop the domestic capability to produce motor vehicles. Plans called for production of 120,000 passenger cars and 25,000 trucks per year, but the project's US$5 billion cost led to indefinite delays.

By the late 1980s, Iraq had had some success in establishing light industries to produce items such as spark plugs, batteries, locks, and household appliances. The electronics industry, concentrated in Baghdad, had grown to account for about 6 percent of output with the help of Thompson-CSF (that is, Compagnie sans fil) of France and the Soviet Union. Other more advanced industries just starting to develop in Iraq in the late 1980s were pharmaceuticals and plastics.

In the 1980s, financial problems caused by massive expenditures in the eight-year war with Iran and damage to oil export facilities by Iran led the government to implement austerity measures and to borrow heavily and later reschedule foreign debt payments; Iraq suffered economic losses of at least $100 billion from the war. After the end of hostilities in 1988, oil exports gradually increased with the construction of new pipelines and restoration of damaged facilities. Agricultural development remained hampered by labor shortages, salinization, and dislocations caused by previous land reform and collectivization programs. The industrial sector, although accorded high priority by the government, also was under financial constraints.

Iraq's seizure of Kuwait in August 1990, subsequent international economic embargoes, and military action by an international coalition beginning in January 1991 drastically changed the economic picture. The UN-sponsored economic embargo has reduced exports and imports and has contributed to the sharp rise in prices. The Iraqi Government has been unwilling to abide by UN resolutions so that the economic embargo could be removed.

The government's policies of supporting large military and internal security forces and of allocating resources to key supporters of the regime had exacerbated shortages. Industrial and transportation facilities, which suffered severe damage, have been partially restored. At current prices, oil exports are about one-third of their prewar level because of the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 986 -- the UN's oil-for-goods program -- in December 1996. Shortages of spare parts continue. In accord with the oil-for-goods deal, Iraq was allowed to export $2 billion worth of oil in exchange for badly needed food and medicine. The first oil was pumped in December 1996, and the first supplies of food and medicine arrived in April 1997. Per capita output for 1995-97 and living standards are well below the 1989-90 level, but any estimates have a wide range of error.

On February 26, 2001, US Secretary of State Colin Powell proposed a modification of sanctions on Iraq, more carefully targeting them towards military items sought by the Iraqi government, while allowing freer movement of civilian goods. In early May, Powell stated that the United States wanted "to revise the sanctions policy so that it is directed exclusively at preventing Iraq from a military buildup and developing weapons of mass destruction." In early July 2001, facing an almost certain Russian veto, the UN Security Council agreed to postpone indefinitely a vote on the U.S. "smart sanctions" plan, and extended the oil-for-food program another 5 months. Following this, Iraq resumed oil exports, which it had halted on June 4 in protest of the plan. In late November 2001, the oil-for-food program was renewed again, but this time with an agreement to reform the program, more in line with the U.S. "smart sanctions" idea, when it came up for renewal again in late May 2002.

Entity Location Products
Al-Badr al Yusufiyah Aerial bombs, artillery pieces, and machine tool bits
Al Hiteen Al Iskandariyah Explosives, TNT, propellants, and vehicles
Al Naiman Oqba Cluster bombs
Al Qaqaa Aerial bombs, TNT, and solid rocket propellants
April 7 (Narawan Fuse) Factory Proximity fuzes for 155 mm and cluster munitions
Base West World Samawa Major armor refitting center
Diglia Zaafarniyah Software, controllers, and plastic castings
Fallujah Al Muthanna HMX and RDX explosives
Mansour Baghdad Defense electronics
PCI Ethylene oxide for fuel-air explosives
Sa'ad 5 (Sa'ad Engineering Complex 122mm howitzers, Ababil rockets, tank optics and mortar sights
Sa'ad 13 Salah al Din - Ad Dawr Defense electronics, radars, and frequency-hopping radios
Sa'ad 21 Mosul Non-ferrous ammunition cases
Sa'ad 24 Mosul Gas masks
Sa'ad 38 Fao Aircraft assembly and manufacturing [under construction]
Sawary Basra Small naval boats
SEHEE heavy engineering complex Al Dura Artillery, vehicle parts, and cannon barrels
U/I Al Amil Liquid nitrogen production
U/I Al Rabiyah Precision machining
U/I Al Taji Wheeled APCs [East European license], armor, and artillery
U/I Al-Amen Tank assembly plant [under Polish and Czech licenses]
U/I Fao Cluster bombs and fuel-air explosives

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Page last modified: 09-07-2011 02:48:54 ZULU

Iraqi Military Industry

 

[Tihamah]

i just don't understand the some of replies above, why some people are so upset about Saudi Arabia buying Leopard 2A7+ (best tank in the world)??

why many replies are out of topic and about other things?

it is Saudi Arabian money and German Weapons....Only germans and Saudi Arabians should be satisified or upset about this deal but not others.