US will provide spare parts for Saudi Arabia M1A2 tanks and Bradley IFVs.

The U.S. State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale for the delivery of spare parts for M1A2 Abrams tanks and M2A2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles, to Saudi Arabia of a Royal Saudi Land Forces Ordnance Corps Foreign Military Sales Order (FMSO) II Case for an estimated cost of $300 million.

M1A2 S of Saudi Arabian army at IDEX defense exhibition in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (Picture source Army Recognition)

The Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has requested a possible purchase of a new Foreign Military Sales Order (FMSO) II to provide funds for blanket order requisitions under a Cooperative Logistics Supply Support Agreement (CLSSA) for common spares/repair parts to support Saudi Arabia’s fleet of M1A2 Abrams tanks, M2A2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs), Light Armored Vehicles (LAVs), M198 Towed Howitzers, additional support, and other related elements of logistics and program support. The total estimated program cost is $300 million.

The primary objective of this proposed sale is to allow the Royal Saudi Land Forces Ordnance Corps to continue to purchase needed spare/repair parts to maintain Saudi Arabia’s fleet of M1A2 Abrams Tanks, M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs), Light Armored Vehicles (LAVs), M198 Towed Howitzers, additional support vehicles and other related logistics support as part of the Cooperative Logistics Supply Support Arrangement (CLSSA) program. Saudi Arabia will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment and support into its armed forces.

Currently Saudi Arabia armed forces operate a total of 315 M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks and around 400 M2A2 Bradley IFVs, tracked armoured infantry fighting vehicles. In December 2017, American Company General Dynamics Corp. has announced a contract to upgrade 786 M1 Abrams main battle tanks to the most advanced M1A2 SEPv3 configuration under terms of a $2.6 billion contract for Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia has asked to upgrade 153 M1A1 and M1A2 tanks to the M1A2S configuration designed for that country's armed forces. This request also included the integration of 169 AN/VAS-5 driver vision enhancer-Abrams (DVE-A), 133 AN/PVS-7B night-vision devices and other tank support equipment.