Ethiopia became new operator of chinese FK-2000 anti-aircraft missile-gun systems, which are essentially russian Pantsir clone. This involves supply of minimum two units, corresponding photo already appeared on social media.
At same time, version already exists that FK-2000 supplier to Ethiopia may actually have been United Arab Emirates. Besides this, logical question arises why Ethiopia itself did not buy additional Pantsir systems from russia, in addition to six already available.
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For Ethiopia itself, any air defense reinforcement is significant. Because besides approximately six available russian Pantsirs, this African country's air defense has at its disposal only approximately four S-75M3 Volkhov SAM launchers and approximately four S-125M1 Pechora-M1 SAM launchers.
Version about UAE as possible FK-2000 supplier to Ethiopia arose against backdrop of assumptions previously expressed regarding Emirates supplying Chinese weapons to other African countries currently at war (for example Sudan).
Separately interesting is FK-2000 supply to Ethiopia became known against backdrop of intensified combat operations in this country, separatist groups intensified attacks against government forces. But from whom specifically FK-2000 should protect Ethiopian government forces is currently unclear.
Even if Ethiopia genuinely needed strengthened drone protection, option to buy additional Pantsirs from russia may not have been considered for simple reason — rashists themselves are not ready to supply these systems for export, given their own needs in war against Ukraine.
Especially since in previous years russia supplied certain batches of other equipment and weapons types to its Ethiopian partners — in October 2023 russia sold Krasukha-4 EW system to Ethiopia, and here there are more questions than answers. In January 2024 it became known about supply of two Indian Su-30Ks, for which buyers were sought for entire 15 years.
And in January 2026, data altogether appeared that russians sold up to six Yak-130s and likely Orion UAV to Ethiopia.
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