As reported by Max Montero on October 26, 2023, Max Montero reported that a new batch of nine ASCOD 2 armored vehicles arrived in Subic, a coastal municipality in the Philippines, located northwest of the capital city, Manila. This delivery consisted of eight ASCOD 2 Sabrah light tanks and
These vehicles are designated for use by the Philippine Army’s Armor ‘Pambato’ Division and are part of the Philippine Army’s Light Tank Acquisition Project, which was awarded to Elbit Systems, an Israeli defense company.
In January 2021, Elbit Systems secured a three-year contract valued at $172 million to supply Sabrah light tanks to the Philippine Army. The delivery of these tanks is expected to be completed by 2023, with the intention of assigning them to the Philippine Army’s sole armored division.
The Sabrah Light Tank is designed by Elbit Systems based on the ASCOD and Pandur 2 platforms. It is a tracked or wheeled light tank manufactured by Elbit Systems, an Israeli defense manufacturing company. Its purpose is to complement the existing fleet of armored fighting vehicles (AFVs) used by armed forces worldwide. The tracked light tank configuration is based on the tracked ASCOD AFV platform, which is manufactured by General Dynamics European Land Systems – Santa Bárbara Sistemas (GDELS-SBS), a part of the American aerospace and defense company General Dynamics.