Nigerian Army Inducts Type 89 Armored Personnel Carrier.
The Nigerian Army has unveiled the Chinese built Type 89 Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) which was delivered months ago and would be deployed in support of military operations.
The Nigerian Army on Thursday, Oct. 29, inducted 60 recently procured Norinco Type 89 tracked armoured personnel carriers (APC) at the Army School of Infantry in Jaji, Kaduna State.
The induction of Type 89 APC also known as Armored Fighting Vehicle (AFV) was held at the site of the School of Infantry in Jaji, Northwest Nigeria after the training of crew on management and applications of the tracked vehicles.
The vehicle would allow the movement of troops through challenging terrain during exercises and military operations. It also provides the facilities to support the installation of various forms of armaments including machine guns, grenade launchers and automatic cannons.
During the unveiling ceremony, Maude Gadzama, the Commandant, Nigerian Army School of Infantry, spoke on the delivery of the APC over three months ago and the training of personnel on the vehicle.
There are concerns about the capabilities of the Chinese carrier which was inspired by the Soviet designs and entered service in the late 1990s but the vehicle provides better protection and utility when compared to the soft skin gun trucks employed by the Army.
The Type 89 APC will complement the remaining tracked Steyr 4K 7FA APC and the British made tracked FV-103 Spartan APC.
The FV-103 was vital in the conduct of operation Tura Takai Bango earlier in the year against Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
The offensive followed the induction of new hardware such as the Isotrex Phantom II APC and NORINCO ST1 105 mm Fire Support Vehicle, VT-4 Main Battle Tank, SH-5 105mm self-propelled Artillery System and SH-2 122mm self-propelled artillery system.
Over the past few years, the Nigerian government has turned to Chinese defence companies for procurement of certain hardware, particularly land-based systems and armed unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Army already operates NORINCO CS/VP3 Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle.
China’s Poly Technologies, and the Army has been linked with additional orders of the vehicle.
Support Our Journalism
There are millions of ordinary people affected by conflict in Africa whose stories are missing in the mainstream media. HumAngle is determined to tell those challenging and under-reported stories, hoping that the people impacted by these conflicts will find the safety and security they deserve.
To ensure that we continue to provide public service coverage, we have a small favour to ask you. We want you to be part of our journalistic endeavour by contributing a token to us.
Your donation will further promote a robust, free, and independent media.
Donate Here
