Monday December 20, 3:54 pm ET
STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich., Dec. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --

The U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command has awarded General Dynamics Land Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD - News), a $267 million modification to a previously awarded contract to produce 125 M1A1 Abrams tank kits for the Egyptian tank co-production program. Deliveries begin in 2005 and will continue through 2008.

In December 2003 the U.S. Army awarded General Dynamics an $8.4 million long-lead material contract to begin work on this increment, which increases the number of Egyptian co-production-built M1A1 tanks to 880 since the program's inception in 1992.

General Dynamics provides components for kits used in Egyptian M1A1 production.

Work will be performed in Lima, Ohio, Scranton, Pa., Muskegon, Mich., Tallahassee, Fla., Anniston, Ala., and Imperial Valley, Calif., by existing General Dynamics Land Systems employees.

General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, employs approximately 71,600 people worldwide and anticipates 2004 revenue in excess of $19 billion. The company is a market leader in mission-critical information systems and technologies; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and business aviation. More information about the company can be found at

880 M1A1?

I didn't read carefully the article.

Does this mean what?
Egypt to have 880 M1A1
or
Total 880 M1A1 produced?
or
Total 880 M1A1 produced in cooperation with Egypt?

Gonna go, just post above questions.

880 M1A1's for Egypt(after this order is done with by 2008)...the U.S. built 4,796 M1A1's for herself.

The agreement with Egypt goes back to 1988, originally they were fully assembled in the U.S., than partly assembled, and now their in knock down kits, Egypt does produce quite a few of the components herself now, outside of the armaments, electronics, some of the hull, etc......

880 M1A1s! Damn impressive, that's one of the finest tank forces in the world. I never imagined the number to be so high, wow those Egyptians are sure under-rated!





~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Republic of Korea Marine Corps (ROKMC) The Few, the Proud, the Best.
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^^Yes, Mantis, it is impressive. But do they have the logistics to support it effeciently?



Zionists use Turkey as a Host.
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I would say they do.

Thanks subroc.

Then Egypt does have a decent tank force, very impressive number 880.

That's enough tanks to invade Israel again!

------------------------------------------

"Give'em all the same grub and all the same pay
And the war would be over and done in a day"

Why not M1A2?

They also have something like 600-700 M-60's and also a large number of T-55's and T-62's, however one of their problems is a lack of a APC that is truly sufficient in numbers which can keep pace with the M1A1 on unpaved terrain.


Why not the M1A2? Probably because of the deal and negations themselves and the fact that they acquired large sums of M1A1's already, the possibility of maybe a lack of indigenous output, and maybe most importantly, the cost of the M1A2 versus the equally as well armed M1A1.........

you think you can invade israel with 880 M1A1? keep dreaming! you cant compare a merkava 4 with a m1a1...

APC should not be a problem for Egypt at all, it's much cheaper than M1A1, and plenty countries make good APC too.

testing

PEACE!
Suck on this PeaceLoving ololololololololololololol
http://www.alkhilafah.info/massacres/xinjiang/index.htm MiG-29

Well, Israel also has a rather huge MBT force as well, the Merkava MkIV isn't in service with the IDF in huge numbers yet, but the Merkava MkIII, the 105mm. armed Merkava MkI/II, and the Magach(M-60)lineage are, and could properly overcome any Egyptian drive due to superior training and tactics most likely in the end, and also other factors.......

But a war between Egypt and Israel seems to be rather remote these days....

Out of interest(boredom) here is a synopsis of Egypt's land forces, information correct as of Jan. 2004.

Egypt:
Total Military Budget:

$4.04bn(2000)
Plus US Military Aid $1.3bn(2003)
[Note. Does not include transfers of surplas US equipment]

Land Forces Personel:

300,000(Including some 240,000 conscripts)
about 320,000 reserves

MBT's:

880 M1A1(On completion of orders)(67.5km/h)
1000 M60A3(50km/h)
680 M60A1(50km/h)
A few remaining T-54/-55's and a few T-62's

AIFV's and APC's:

A few BMP-1's(Being withdrawn)
2,300 M-113(60km/h)
401 YPR-765's(improved M-113)(including command and recovery versions)(68km/h)
800+ FAHDs(wheeled)(90km/h)
200 BMR-600(wheeled)(100km/h)

Other AFV's:

A few remaining BRDM-1/-2's
112 Commando Scout Armoured Cars
159 M-106A2/M-125A2 mortar carriers
50 M577A2 command posts
40 M-901 ITV tank destroyers
210 YPR-765(modified M-113) PRAT tank destroyers
26 M-981 FISTV's

Artillery:

1,200 122mm, 130mm, 152mm, 180mm
40 203mm towed
160 M109A2 155mm SPH
124 122mm SPH
[Note. An aggrement has been signed with Patria Vammas Oy of Finland to licence produce
155/52mm towed howitzers]

Mortars:

400 120mm, 160mm and 240mm

MRL's:

145 BM-11 122mm
60 BM-21 122mm
175 M-88 122mm
[Note. 26 MLRS are on order to start replacing the Russian systems]

RCL's:

900 82mm, 107mm

SSM's:

24 SCUD, SAKR-36's

ATK Guns:

900 57mm, 76mm, and 100mm

ATGW:

520 TOW
220 MILAN
200 SWINGFIRE

AA Guns:

350 ZSU-23-4's, ZSU-57-2 SP
66 M167A2 VULCAN

SAM's:

AL-SAQR (SA-7)
50 AVENGER systems with 1,058 STINGER missiles

What Egypt needs to ensure however is that they have well trained crews to operate those tanks, that the crews are very good at maneuver, that the M1A1 is put into units seperate from the M60.

Ahmed

your are mistaken egyt has been building the 120mm rheinmetal gun for years.


Furthermore egypt builds m-113s in co-op with the usa and their own local wheeled IFV the Khader fahd.

" The confrontation that we are calling for with the apostate regimes does not know Socratic debates..., Platonic ideals..., nor Aristotelian diplomacy. But it knows the dialogue of bullets, the ideals of assassination, bombing, and destruction, and the diplomacy of the cannon and machine-gun. Islamic governments have never and will never be established through peaceful solutions and cooperative councils. They are established as they [always] have been ,by pen and gun ,by word and bullet ,by tongue and
teeth "

Egyptian M1A1 Production Line Starts Again
Jane's Defence Weekly ^ | August 28, 2002 | By Christopher F. Foss, JDW Land Forces Editor, London


Posted on 08/23/2002 6:28:36 AM PDT by TADSLOS


The Egyptian Tank Plant assembly line of the M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank (MBT) for the Egyptian Army is back in full production, under a co-production programme with US General Dynamics Land Systems, prime contractor for the M1A1.


Under the original contract, a total of 555 M1A1 MBTs were delivered to the Egyptian Army, with final vehicles being delivered late in 1998. Since then another 200 M1A1 MBTs have been added to the contract, for production in two batches of 100. The first one of the latest order rolled off the production line in January this year and production has now built up to four vehicles per month. This is expected to continue until December 2005 when the last of the 200 additional vehicles will be completed.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The second batch of 100 M1A1s was funded through the US government's Foreign Military Sales programme and is valued at an estimated $590 million. In addition to this order, Egypt has also requested 100 120mm M256 smooth-bore tank guns (made by Watervliet Arsenal of the USA); 100 0.50-cal M2 HB heavy machine guns; 200 7.62mm M240 machine guns; and 12 5.56mm M16A2 light machine guns plus other associated spare parts and training equipment.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
??

When completed, the second batch of 100 MBTs will bring the total Egyptian inventory of M1A1s to 755. It is understood that, funding permitting, Egypt would like to procure an additional 200 M1A1's. Egypt is the largest user of the M1 series of MBTs outside of the USA. Kuwait has 218 and Saudi Arabia 315. However, in both cases these are the more recent and enhanced M1A2 MBTs.


The gap in M1A1 production at the Egyptian Tank Plant (also referred to as Factory 200), was filled by co-production of 50 of the latest United Defense LP M88A2 Hercules armoured recovery vehicles. Hulls were supplied from United Defense together with other sub-systems with final assembly taking placed in Egypt. The M88A2 has been designed to recover heavier armoured vehicles such as the M1A1 MBT and is an upgraded version of the older M88A1 of which 221 have been supplied to Egypt.


In a separate development, the US Army Operations Support Command has awarded the ATK Ammunition Systems of the USA a $27 million contract to assist Egypt in the development of a capability to produce 120mm tank training ammunition for the 120mm M256 smooth-bore gun installed in the M1A1 MBT. Under the three-year contract the company will provide technical expertise, equipment and ammunition to support the manufacture of 45,000 rounds of training ammunition at a facility near Cairo. In addition, the company will construct all required equipment for a 120mm ammunition test firing range in Egypt.

This should not be surprising, Egypt has always been the intelectual capital of the Arabic world. The Universities of Cairo and Alexandria have existed for centuries, the relatively close proximity to Europe insured technology updates, and the relatively intelligent population has always contributed to Egypts well being.





Zionists use Turkey as a Host.
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Egypt uses his $1.3 bn annual foreign military assistance from USA to buy the M1A1 Abrams... it is why the number of abrams in their inventory is so high... They get them for free.

Heck it is much cheaper to give away $4million MBT than it is to go intervene when the middle east and their oil explodes in a war.


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