General Dynamics lines up for Kuwaiti Abrams ammunition deal
A Kuwaiti M1A2K Abrams MBT. (Photo: Kuwait News Agency)
Via the FMS programme, Kuwait would receive armour-piercing and high-explosive 120mm rounds plus 7.62mm machine gun ammunition.
General Dynamics will provide operational and training ammunition for M1A2K MBTs operated by the Kuwait Army, if the US Congress approves an FMS deal worth an estimated $250 million.
Approved by the State Department on 27 September, the proposed FMS package includes KE-W A1 Armor-Piercing, Fin-Stabilized, Discarding Sabot-Tracer (APFSDS-T) and Insensitive Munition High Explosive Tracer (IM-HET) rounds for the 120mm main gun on the M1A2K.
Other elements include M80 Ball cartridge and M62 Tracer 7.62mm machine gun ammunition; MK211 armour-piercing incendiary and M903/M962 Saboted Light Armor Penetrator-Tracer rounds for .50cal machine guns; smoke grenades; and ancillary support and test equipment.
Prime contractor General Dynamics will also provide contractor engineering, technical and logistics support.
‘The proposed sale will improve Kuwait’s ability to meet current and future regional threats’, the State Department noted, by enabling continued employment of the Abrams MBT and supporting the modernisation of the Kuwaiti tank fleet.
The Kuwait Army announced in July 2021 that it had received its first M1A2K MBT (an upgraded version of the M1A2 Abrams) almost two years behind the initial schedule.
In July 2020, the State Department approved a $59.6 million FMS deal for BAE Systems to provide training ammunition for the Kuwaiti Abrams fleet.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
![US DoD task force’s DroneHunter acquisition lays groundwork for Replicator 2 CUAS strategy]()
US DoD task force’s DroneHunter acquisition lays groundwork for Replicator 2 CUAS strategy
As the US Department of Defense looks to counter the growing threat of uncrewed aerial systems to improve homeland security, the DroneHunter acquisition could point to future commercial innovation.
-
![Norway opts for Hanwha’s Chunmoo for long-range fires under $2 billion deal]()
Norway opts for Hanwha’s Chunmoo for long-range fires under $2 billion deal
The selection of Hanwha’s K239 Chunmoo long-range precision fires system, with a contract expected to be signed on 30 January, makes Norway the second European country to choose the system. It is expected an operational system will be in service within four years.
-
![Layered protection: How air defence is adapting to rising drone and missile threats (podcast)]()
Layered protection: How air defence is adapting to rising drone and missile threats (podcast)
A surge in aerial threats – from advanced missiles to low-cost drones – is reshaping the way militaries approach air defence, driving demand for flexible, multi-layered solutions.
