Gabon has recently acquired Spartak armoured vehicles (AMN-590951) from Russia’s VPK. These mine-resistant troop transport units (MRAPs) are currently used by the Russian army in Ukraine.
On 17 August, four of these vehicles, painted in Gabon’s colors, paraded through Libreville to commemorate the 64th anniversary of the state’s independence. They were showcased alongside new Chinese Norinco WMA301 and WZ551 armoured vehicles, and Emirati Inkas Titan S vehicles. This armoured fleet will be used by both the army and the influential Republican Guard, led by Gabon’s junta leader General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema.
Negotiations for acquiring the Russian armoured vehicles began under President Ali Bongo, who was overthrown in a coup d’état a year ago. His foreign minister, Michael Moussa Adamo, who passed away on 20 January 2023, had traveled to Moscow in May 2021 to discuss strengthening defence cooperation. Aside from a donation of light weapons by Moscow for Gabon’s National Parks Agency in 2019, the African nation has imported very few arms from Russia.
To circumvent international sanctions on its military exports since the war in Ukraine, Moscow has relied on partner countries as intermediaries. The Russian military has also signed numerous industrial agreements to continue trading. The same Spartak armored vehicle has been emulated in Nigeria. Proforce Defence, partly owned by the Nigerian Army, sent engineers to Russia for six months to develop the PF Hulk vehicle, based on the Spartak, with minor technical modifications.
The Spartak is a Russian wheeled armored vehicle developed by VPK, classified as a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle. It was first unveiled at the Army-2019 defense exhibition in Russia and deployed by Russian special forces during the invasion of Ukraine. Some units were captured and used by Ukrainian forces.
The Spartak was developed in response to lessons from Russia’s military intervention in Syria, prioritizing the protection of both the crew and the vehicle’s critical components. Its modularity allows for easy customization for different missions.
The vehicle’s frontal armor and roof are reinforced to withstand 12.7 mm rounds, and it can be fitted with additional armor to resist 14.5 mm rounds. To counter threats from mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), the VPK-Ural has a V-shaped hull typical of MRAP vehicles, capable of withstanding explosions equivalent to 6 to 8 kilograms of TNT.
The Spartak is typically fitted with an open turret, protected by 360-degree armor plates, and is most commonly armed with a 12.7 mm Kord machine gun. It can also mount a PK/PKP machine gun or an AGS-17/30/40 automatic grenade launcher. VPK states that the Spartak can be outfitted with a remotely operated turret like the Arbalet-DM.
The relationship between Gabon and Russia has seen significant developments in both economic and defense spheres, particularly following negotiations between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Gabonese Foreign Minister Pacome Moubelet-Boubeya in 2021. Gabon’s acquisition of the Spartak MRAPs is part of a broader trend in Africa, where countries are increasingly diversifying their sources of military equipment. Russia has been actively expanding its influence on the continent.
Gabon has acquired a number of other vehicles which includes; Norinco VN1 8×8 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), Norinco VP11 mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP).
Furthermore, last year, the Republican Guard of Gabon received a significant reinforcement to its fleet with the delivery of four AML-90 armored reconnaissance vehicles from France.