MANILA: The Philippine Army’s (PA) 1st Tank Battalion has test-fired the 105mm main guns of its newly acquired light tanks from Israel.
In a Facebook post Wednesday night, the 1st Tank Battalion said the test fire was held during the familiarization and training exercise for Army personnel on the use of the Elbit Systems’ Land Sabrah light tanks at the Col. Ernesto Rabina Air Base target range in Tarlac province on July 8-11.
“This event was a crucial part of maintaining the battalion’s combat readiness and operational efficiency, providing both seasoned soldiers and new trainees with invaluable hands-on experience,” the 1st Tank Battalion said.
It added that the rigorous training sessions included a series of realistic combat scenarios designed to test and enhance the accuracy, reliability, and firepower of the Sabrah tanks.
The 1st Tank Battalion said having these light tanks in the PA’s inventory would greatly boost its territorial defense capabilities.
Armor Division commander Maj. Gen. Pedro C. Bali
si Jr. was also present during the exercise to assess the performance of the Sabrah light tanks.
The Armor Division is expected to receive 20 units of the Sabrah from 2023 to 2024 aside from 10 units of wheeled armored vehicles.
Six to 10 Sabrah units are believed to be in service as of this time.
The PA’s light tank acquisition project is under Horizon 2 of the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program.
The contract is worth PHP9.4 billion and was acquired via government-to-government mode.
Source: Philippines News Agency
