Kuwait Army buys large amount of ammo for its M1A2K Abrams MBTs

Defense News September 2022 Global Security army industry
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On September 27, 2022, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced that the State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Kuwait of M1A2K tank operational and training ammunition and related equipment for an estimated cost of $250 million.
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A Kuwaiti M1A2K Abrams fires during exercise Al Tahreer, February 23, 2021, at Udairi Range Complex in Kuwait (Picture source: U.S. Army/Staff Sgt. Daryl Bradford, Task Force Spartan Public Affairs)

The Government of Kuwait has requested to buy Cartridge M80 Ball/M62 Tracer 7.62mm 4/1 linked; Cartridge MK211 4 Armor Piercing Incendiary (APIT) .50 Cal 4/1 linked; Cartridge M903/M962 Saboted Light Armor Penetrator-Tracer (SLAP-T) .50 Cal 4/1 linked; Cartridge KE-W A1 Armor-Piercing, Fin-Stabilized, Discarding Sabot-Tracer (APFSDS-T) 120mm; Cartridge, Insensitive Munition High Explosive Tracer (IM-HET) 120mm; Grenade, Screening-Smoke; containers; munitions; support and test equipment; integration and test support; spare and repair parts; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistical and program support. The estimated cost is $250 million.

The principal contractor will be General Dynamics, York, PA. Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the assignment of any additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives to Kuwait.

On October 16, 2017, the State Department had made a determination approving the Foreign Military Sale to Kuwait of M1A1 Abrams Tanks. The estimated cost was $29 million. The Government of Kuwait had requested the purchase of two hundred eighteen (218) M1A1 Abrams tank hulls with 120mm cannons and two hundred eighteen (218) AGT-1500 (M1 Tank Series) engines in support of its M1A2 tank recapitalization. Also included are transportation and other logistics support. The estimated cost is $29 million.

This sale was associated with Congressional Notification 16-66 which was notified to Congress on December 12, 2016, regarding the recapitalization of 218 Kuwaiti M1A2 tanks. Subsequent to the notification, Kuwait indeed requested 218 M1A1 tank hulls from U.S. inventory be provided and upgraded vice using Kuwait’s current fleet of tanks due to its interest in maintaining operational readiness.