Russia sells tanks to Algeria, Turkmenistan: report

MOSCOW: Russia has signed contracts to sell 120 T-90C tanks to Algeria and 30 to Turkmenistan, Vedomosti business daily reported Tuesday, citing sources in the arms industry.

The contracts, which follow earlier defence contracts with the countries, would be worth at least $500 million, defence analyst Konstantin Makiyenko told the newspaper.

Russia signed the contract with Algeria in autumn 2011 and the contract with Turkmenistan in summer 2011, Vedomosti reported, citing a source close to the arms export agency and a manager at state corporation Rostechnology.

The Arab Spring protests last year triggered unrest in Algeria and led its president to pledge reforms.

The energy-rich ex-Soviet state of Turkmenistan on Monday reelected its strongman President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov with over 97% of the vote.

Russia earlier supplied Algeria with 185 T-90C tanks in 2009 and supplied Turkmenistan with 10 tanks to fulfil a 2010 contract, the newspaper reported.

The new contracts would make Russia the world's largest tank exporter in 2012, beating China, said the editor of Moscow Defense Brief, Mikhail Barabanov.

Last year Russian army chief Alexander Postnikov complained to the Russian Senate about the high cost of the new T-90 tank model, saying that he could buy three German tanks for its price of 18 million rubles ($600,545).

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2012