The U.S. State Department has announced the approval of several Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to Egypt, with an estimated total value exceeding $5.4 billion.
These sales are designed to bolster Egypt’s defence capabilities and reinforce its strategic alliance with the United States.
The largest proposed sale is for the refurbishment and upgrade of 555 M1A1 Abrams tanks to the M1A1SA configuration. This upgrade will involve the installation of advanced equipment such as AN/VAS-5B Driver Vision Enhancer Kits, Thermal Imaging System (TIS) Gunner’s Sights, AGT-1500 tank engines, X-1100 tank transmissions, and spare parts.
According to the FMS notice, “The estimated total program cost is $4.69 billion.” The refurbishment will take place at the Egyptian Tank Plant in Cairo, with General Dynamics Land Systems as the principal contractor.
Additionally, the FMS includes a request for the purchase of 2,183 Hellfire AGM-114R missiles, valued at approximately $630 million. These missiles will enhance Egypt’s ability to defend against regional threats, with a focus on improving interoperability with U.S. forces and partners in the region. The FMS notice states, “The estimated total cost is $630 million,” with Lockheed Martin identified as the principal contractor.
Furthermore, Egypt has requested 543 additional Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems (APKWS) for $30 million. The FMS notice explains, “The estimated total cost is $30 million,” and highlights that the sale will improve Egypt’s ability to conduct counterterrorism operations, particularly in North Sinai. BAE Systems will serve as the contractor for the APKWS sale.
These sales are part of Egypt’s ongoing efforts to modernise its military and ensure its ability to address current and future security challenges, says the notice. As noted in the FMS documents, “The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.”
The U.S. government has stressed that these sales will have no adverse impact on U.S. defence readiness.
Wish that was the British military who done that
Difference is post syria/isreal/Libya/Hamas, Egypt has potential risks in lots of directions. The UK just doesn’t and war involving the UK will be one of choice defending an ally rather than one protecting the UK. Gives local priority from the publiv and therefore policitans
Egypt has 555 Abrams? Wow
When I joined the army in 1978 we had 900 chieftains in service
They have a myriad of other Tank types too.
Egypt has 1200 M1A1 tanks. The deal comprises only 555 tanks for some reason.
https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2019/02/the-egyptian-military-a-slumbering-giant-awakes?lang=en¢er=middle-east
Is the M1A1SA top notch or a mid-life update thing.
Refurb and updates.
I also think they don’t have DU armour on there M1’s
All countries are rearming, while in Great Britain there are only cuts, very sad.
Yeah but we, well Eagle certainly, are damn good at talking a lot about these things.
Other countries are only starting to catch up to were we have been for decades. And Egypt doesn’t deploy beyond its own borders.
Wait a few years and we,ll see if Britain still has credible armed forces.
That is reasoning that might have held 15 years ago but now a more fundamental rethink is required.
We can’t have exquisite force structure with pathetically few effectors and a host of totally broken recruitment / training / spares systems as the output of the Rolls Royce system.
If you stress tested the RAF Rolls Royce the wheels would fall off on spares / pilot numbers & fatigue / munitions. So the conclusion is – do things differently: staff college is wrong.
Sorry – hard pill to swallow but things need to change.
Agree.
The past does not equal the future! Egypt had an Empire that built the pyramids ^^ So you can’t say we were great yesterday..what matters is are our armed forces ready for today’s battles and that if tomorrow? Unfortunately most would agree we are not ready for a major conflict without hiding behind the US
Who is/are the potential enemy?
Who for Turkey? I would say there are plenty of potential enemies as they would see them at least.
Israel, isis, Iran, Turkey, the entire African Union..
Egypt traditionally had Israel to the East, Libya to the West and Sudan to the South as potential Enemies – Israel is no longer considered a threat due to the Peace Accords, but Libya and Sudan are dangerous due to their problems.
Soon Egypt will deploy tens of thousands of troops to Somalia to counter Ethiopian plans to annex Somali sea. Egypt already has dispute with Ethiopia over the dam and Nile water flow… The ideas Ethiopia annexing parts of Somali sea and gain access to red sea is a red line for Egypt! Because it would threaten trade and the Suez canal. It’s the next big flash point in the coming months that nobody is talking about!
Turkey now has a space launcher in Somalia.
Once again our Armed Forces have been failed by our for most part civilian politicians and their “Bean counters ‘who not only fail to get the message from our security experts and Chiefs of Staff ,they our Government now and in past have in my humble opinion spectacularly failed in their duty to ensure that the defence of ‘The Realm”and those countries, and Dependants who look to the ‘UK’ must wonder at our government ect lack of attention to the threats from China (who incidentally have been given the contract to supply our armed forces uniforms )???why oh why disgraceful again civilian bean counters,then Russia both they and their cabale of anti Western democracy engaged in cyber warfare, in it’s self a low key ‘act of war’ targeting civilian infrastructure i.e hospital’s, airports and railways and what may I ask you are our politicians doing ; rewarding them with above mentioned contracts , unforgivable all I can say is God help us from these idiots who couldn’t organise a ‘p*** up in a brewery ‘ excuse my frustration at their actions.
Merry Christmas
UK can only dream of having 555 tanks.
BoF, true. I think we last had in excess of that number prior to 1998, ie when we had the CH/CR1 mixed fleet 1983-1998, and before that when we had 900 CH.
50 apache, 10 each. Typhoon or F35 how many per sortie?
B.O.F….do we have enough fit and able solders to fight 555 tanks all at one time.. and could we supply 555 tanks… and enough RA to defend said tanks…
Egypt has nearly 1,200 Abrams, as well as other less modern tank types.
SB. How do you mean that Staff College is wrong? They are teaching something incorrectly?
Staff college logic turns into group think.
RAF has plenty of group think.
RAF issue is that it is very long tail to shortly support a few frames.
First Problem is you can’t surge that as you can’t magic more frames.
Second Problem is that they can’t really support even those frames as there is so little budget for spares and for some particular groups of spares.
Soon Egypt will deploy tens of thousands of troops to Somalia to counter Ethiopian plans to annex Somali sea. Egypt already has dispute with Ethiopia over the dam and Nile water flow… The idea Ethiopia annexing parts of Somali sea and gain access to red sea is a red line for Egypt! Because it would threaten trade and the Suez canal. It’s the next big flash point in the coming months that nobody is talking about!
Is Egypt fearful of an Israeli invasion?
Egypt despite playing cool does not like what Israel is doing in the region. Egypt is a far more powerful country than Iran and would harm Israel severely if war broke out . But the government in Egypt is more fearful of domestic affairs fearing a public backed coup or revolution could take place . That said Egypt is busy with Ethiopia and will send troops in January to Somalia as part of AU peace force because the dictator in Ethiopia wants to annex Somalia seas and become a red sea nation which threatens Egypt
Israel with billions of American aid couldn’t destroy small militia like Hezbollah and it’s my first time see a country make a deal with militia. Egypt now have strongest army in the region and they learn from the past by heed the infrastructure and the road so of there any war in sainai the army in Cairo will be there as fast as it could and the one who must afraid of invasion is Israel because Egyptians now hate Israel and even they want go to war and El ciccy became so weak in front of his people and even the military leaders and I think his regim will fall soon
Egypt is buying more arms because maps in the middle East and Africa are getting redrawn! What is happening in Syria Gaza add to that Houthis affecting red sea trade … And Ethiopia completing the Nile dam affecting water flow to Egypt… And now Ethiopia acting like Russia trying to annex Somali sea to gain red sea access and affect Egyptian Suez canal is a big red line! Hence why in the new year Egypt is deploying tens of thousands of troops to Somalia to help Somalia guard it’s sovereignty. Ethiopia a Brics nation wanted to use autonomous Somaliland region recognition to build a naval base and take advantage of the weak fragile Somali government that is rebuilding and derail all that effort the EU US UK have put into .
Trump team is playing into Ethiopian hands which is backed by China and Russia who want Somaliland recognition so their Brics friend can be in the red sea and trade with them easier and give Brics influence there. Trump recognition of Somaliland will cause not just civil war but hand it to Ethiopia a Russia China ally! The pro western Somali government is very concerned of this developments. One more Russia and Chinese naval base would choke western trade
Is the UK selling or exporting anything besidesT26/T31s? Is the export dept asleep?
The only ‘enemy’ the current Egyptian government sees is it’s own people and democracy. Sisi has killed more Egyptian’s than any war has- make no mistake, these weapons are a deterrent to anyone who threatens to free Egypt from the current dictatorship, whether they be internal.or external
Who are you kid…. do you even live in egypt…..Sisi is the best thung that happened to egypt for decades.. you say sisi and the governent killed people….this is lies only the ones who tries people in egypt the traitors and islamist and jihadists who wanted to overtake egypt and ocupy9mg sinai…
We are eoth revolution that happened in 30 june 2013
And we give sisi premissioms to take rule in 3 july 2013
And we helped him gain control to save the cointry from islamist