WASHINGTON, Aug. 10 (UPI) — The U.S. State Department has approved a proposed $1.15 billion foreign military sale of tanks and other equipment to Saudi Arabia, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced Tuesday.
The deal includes M1A2S Saudi Abrams Main Battle tanks and M88AI/A2 Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lift Evacuation System, or HERCULES, armored recovery vehicles, the agency said in a statement.
Congress was informed of the possible sale on Monday.
The sale would involve up to 153 M1A1/A2 tank structures for conversion to 133 M1A2S Saudi Abrams tanks and 20 battle damage replacements for the existing fleet.
It also includes 153 M2 .50 caliber machine guns, 266 7.62 mm M240 machine guns, 153 M250 smoke grenade launchers, 20 M88A HERCULES armored recovery vehicle structures for conversion to 20 M88A1/A2 HERCULES vehicles, 169 AN/VAS-5 Driver Vision Enhancer-Abrams, 133 AN/PVS-7B night vision devices, 4,256 rounds of M865 training ammunition and 2,394 rounds of M831AI training ammunition.
Also included in the sale are M1A1I/2 tank and M88A1/A2 armored recovery vehicle overhaul, conversion and refurbishment services, special tools and test equipment, basic issue items, program management support, verification testing, system technical support, advanced gunnery training system, deployable advanced gunnery training system, transportation, binoculars, camouflage netting, spare and repair parts, communications equipment, personnel training and training equipment, tool and test equipment, repair and return, publications and technical documentation, quality assurance team, U.S. government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services, as well as other related logistics and program support elements.
General Dynamics Land Systems is the principal contractor.
