By KYIV. Sept 15 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Belgium will supply the Ukrainian army with the first batch of 10 upgraded M113 armored vehicles, the specialized website Force Operations Blog has reported.
“The first batch of 10 M113 armored vehicles upgraded by John Cockerill Defense (JCD) will be sent to Ukraine as a result of an initiative funded by Belgium, the Netherlands and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. In addition, the Belgian concern is also exploring other possibilities for continuing to support the Ukrainian army,” the report says.
According to the contract signed with the Belgian Ministry of Defense, JCD will restore and equip 40 M113 transport vehicles with a machine gun by the end of November.
“The first vehicles were handed over to the Belgian army at the end of August with the task of organizing their shipment to Ukraine,” the report says.
It is indicated that other similar deliveries may follow in the future.
On June 16, the Belgian Council of Ministers approved the delivery of these armored personnel carriers to Ukraine, which were removed from service with the Belgian army more than ten years ago.
