The State Department approved a possible $1.7 billion Foreign Military Sales (FMS) request to Kuwait for recapitalization of 218 M1A2 tanks and related equipment, support, and training.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress of the potential sales on Dec. 12.
The recapitalization sale for the 218 M1A2 tanks would include 240 .50 Cal M2A1 machine guns; 480 7.62mm M240 machine guns; 240 AN/VRC-92E SINCGARS radios; and 1,085 AN/PVS-7B Night Vision Goggles.
The FMS also includes the incorporation of cooling system/thermal management systems; Common Remotely Operated Weapons Station (CROWS) II – Low Profile Stabilized Weapon Stations; special armor; 120mm gun tubes; 2nd generation Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) sights; embedded diagnostics; gunner’s primary sights; Counter Sniper and Anti-Materiel Mount (CSAMM) hardware; upgrade/maintenance of engines and transmissions; depot level support; and training devices;
Other units associated with the sale are spare and repair parts; support equipment; tools and test equipment; technical data and publications; personnel training and training equipment; U.S. government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics support.
The primary contractors are General Dynamics [GD] and the U.S. government-owned GD-operated Joint Services Manufacturing Center; Konsberg Defense Systems; Raytheon [RTN]; Meggitt Defense Systems; Palomar Technologies, Inc.; Northrop Grumman [NOC]; DRS Technologies; Lockheed Martin [LMT]; Honeywell [HON]; and Miltope.
Kuwait plans to use this sale service to recapitalize its fleet of M1A2 tanks to modernize and extend the service life of the tanks.
Implementation of the sale is estimated to require five to seven contractors and 25 to 30 U.S. government representatives to Kuwait, DSCA said.