More than 100 members of Congress have written the Army Secretary urging him to work with the defense committees to fund production of the M1-series Abrams tank, so there is no damaging production break incurring job loss and cost.
The Abrams is produced by General Dynamics [GD].
In their May 21 letter to John McHugh, 120 lawmakers said they were “deeply concerned” that the Army “once again failed to fund production” of the M1A2 SEP tank, that ‘neglects” the service’s responsibility to modernize the tank and damages the industrial base.
The defense committees recognize the M1A2 is “unquestionably the most lethal battle tank, yet the National Guard still uses the less capable M1A1, members wrote. With the large role the Guard played in Iraq and Afghanistan, they should be using the same tank variant as active duty forces.
Additionally, eliminating production funds would shutter the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center, and “drive away” its skilled employees, they write.
And, while the Army believes that Foreign Military Sales (FMS) alone would keep the joint center at minimum production levels until the next upgrades are to come on line in 2019, members are skeptical.
“Congress has consistently taken the position that FMS alone is an unacceptable level of risk. FMS combined with a minimum level of United States-based tanks for the National Guard is the most rational path forward until the next series of upgrades begins,” members wrote.
Without production funding, there would be a production break in 2016 that would impact the workforce and drive “many small companies out of business, leaving the nation without the capacity to produce tanks when needed.
Members said: “ The Army must manage these facilities in a responsible manner that does not require Congress to annually consider whether or not they are being properly funded.”
The 120 members who signed the letter want McHugh to work with them to sustain the “unique and critical” capability.