Sudan orders Russian T-72 MBTs

According to an article by Russia Beyond the Headlines, Sudan has ordered 170 T-72 main battle tanks from Russia.  This order is said to consist of 150 combat ready tanks plus an additional 20 vehicles for spare parts.  The version of the T-72 acquired by Sudan is said to be T-72AV.  The T-72A is an early variant of the T-72 that first appeared in 1979.  The “AV” version is essentially an “A” with the addition of Kontakt-1 explosive reactive armor.  According to the Military Balance 2016 report issued by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the Sudanese Armed Forces operate 465 tanks, including 20 M60A3, 60 Type 59/Type 59D, 305 T-54/55, 70 T-72M1, and 10 Type 85-IIM.