LONDON -- Engineering firm Vickers signed an agreement Tuesday to supply Oman with 18 Challenger 2 tanks and other military vehicles, the Ministry of Defense said.
The deal was reportedly worth 140 million pounds ($207 million).
Minister for Defense Procurement, Jonathan Aitken, welcomed the contract. 'Challenger 2 is an excellent tank, and I am sure that the Royal Army of Oman will be very pleased with it,' the minister said in a statement. 'This is good news for Vickers and their employees at Leeds and Newcastle...and other sub-contractors throughout the country.'
The contract was signed Tuesday in the northern Oman city of Muscat. The deal also involves four Challenger armoured repair and recovery vehicles, two training tanks, nine tank transporters and four Alvis Stormer combat vehicles.
On Jan. 28, Prime Minister John Major announced the Omani government had selected the Challenger 2 for its army.
