NEWTOWN, CONN. - Ukrainian state defense enterprise Ukroboronprom announced on April 21 that it intends to continue pursuing and fulfilling export contracts for select defense products in the coming years, aiming to clarify the status of Ukrainian defense exports amidst uncertainty and multiple conflicting reports on the subject.
The pressing acquisition requirements of the Ukrainian Army and National Guard have largely monopolized the production lines of Ukrainian land-defense contractors. Both service branches are in continual and desperate need of capable new-build and retrofitted vehicles for rapid deployment to the country's embattled Eastern territories, where engagements continue with Russian and Russian-backed separatist forces despite the ostensible implementation of the Minsk II ceasefire agreement.
At various stages of the conflict, assorted Ukrainian defense officials announced that the export of indigenous defense products had entered dormancy in order for defense-industries to solely prioritize the needs of the country's domestic services. However, these statements were seemingly contradicted by confirmed low-level export sales, such as the delivery of BTR-4 APCs and refurbished T-72 MBTs to Nigeria in late 2014.
Ukroboronprom's latest statement appears to outline a more cohesive structure for Ukraine's export outlook by delineating different products for different goals.
The press-release suggests that Ukroboronprom will renew a more active marketing approach for the T-84 "Oplot" MBT, arguing that export funds procured through the sale of this more expensive model can then be directed toward the modernization and retrofit of a larger quantity of T-64 MBTs to the "Oplot" standard for domestic use by Ukrainian forces.
Indeed, recent reports indicate that Ukraine delivered a small quantity of T-84 Oplots to Thailand in April 2015, a continuation of an existing order for the model by the Thai Army.
Nevertheless, it must be noted that the Ukrainian Military itself is also intending to procure new-build T-84 models, and as such the new export-domestic procurement framework outlined by Ukroboronprom retains a degree of ambiguity.
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