Ecuador plans to deliver Osa-AKM SAM to Ukraine through the United States
6 February, 2024 Osa-AKM SAM of the military of Ecuador. Photo credits: Poder Militar Ecuatoriano Ecuador plans to deliver Osa-AKM SAM to Ukraine through the United StatesEcuador is preparing to hand over six Osa-AKM anti-aircraft missile systems to the United States.
Infodefensa reported that these air defense systems should then be transferred to Ukraine. This agreement provides for the transfer of new unnamed American systems to Ecuador and will also include training, support, the supply of spare parts, and permanent technical assistance. However, it is not known whether the Osa-AKM is in combat-ready condition.
In service with the ground forces and air forces are 12 9K33 Osa-AKM systems, which were acquired from Ukraine some time ago.
Osa-AKM SAM of the military of Ecuador. Photo credits: Poder Militar Ecuatoriano
"There is information indicating that research was carried out in 2020 on its maintenance and modernization, but the process was stopped," reads the article in Infodefensa. Recently, it was reported that there is an agreement between the countries to exchange such Soviet-era weapons, so-called 'scrap metal', worth £200 million, for modern equipment.
The deal was signed in January 2023. Ecuador remains an active user of Soviet-type weapons and systems, as well as ammunition manufactured during the USSR or in the Russian Federation. The issue involves heavy weapons, such as RPG-7 grenade launchers and AGS-17 automatic grenade launchers.
The rocket artillery is represented by 15 Czechoslovak RM-70 122mm MRLs.
RM-70 and BM-21 Grad 122mm MRLs of the military of Ecuador. A frame from the video of @SA_Defensa
The country owns a wide range of Soviet anti-aircraft weapons, in particular more than a hundred ZPU-1/2/4 anti-aircraft machine guns, dozens of ZU-23-2 automatic guns, and more than 200 Igla and Strela-2 MANPADS.
In addition, the country's ground forces own up to a dozen active Mi-17-1V military transport helicopters.
At the same time, it recently became known that Russia launched a trade war with Ecuador for military assistance to Ukraine.
The Russian authorities appealed to the Ministry of Agriculture of Ecuador with a demand to suspend the certification of bananas.