Excalibur Group, a Czech defence company specialising in the repair and maintenance of armoured vehicles, is currently negotiating with the Afghan Ministry of Defence (MoD) to maintain the T-55 main battle tank fleet operated by the Afghan National Army (ANA) and supply all necessary spare parts.

"We are capable of supplying and producing any spare part for this tank," Excalibur Group Sales Director Jiri Sauer informed Czech media while accompanying Czech Defence Minister Martin Stropnicky during an official visit to Kabul on 14 December.

Sauer said the Afghan MoD is interested in issuing a contract to a company capable of servicing and providing spares for the ANA's T-55 tank fleet as well as providing technicians that would train ANA maintenance personnel who would assume the task in future.