Poland and Saudi Arabia to receive technical support for M1A2 Abrams
A US Army M1A2 Abrams MBT, pictured on deployment to Poland in 2017. (Photo: US Army/Staff Sgt Timothy Hughes)
The oldest and newest FMS customers for the M1A2 Abrams MBT will receive technical support from General Dynamics Land Systems.
General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) is providing ‘technical support’ of an undisclosed nature for two FMS operators of the Abrams M1A2 MBT.
The DoD announced in a 13 May contract notice that Poland and Saudi Arabia are the recipients, with GDLS expected to complete work on the $28.96 million US Army contract modification by 30 June 2023.
Saudi Arabia was the launch export customer for the M1A2. The Saudi army operates a total of 423 M1A2S tanks with an out-of-service date of 2038, according to Shephard Defence Insight. Photographs of a batch of M1A2S MBTs reportedly destined for Saudi Arabia were published in November 2021, suggesting that deliveries were still ongoing as of late 2021.
Poland is the latest M1A2 FMS customer. In July 2021, the Polish government and Ministry of National Defense announced that they had sent a letter of request to the US government to supply 250 M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams via the FMS process. In February 2022, the US State Department approved the $6 billion FMS package including supporting equipment, training and logistics.
Poland signed the contract in April 2022. The new MBTs will replace legacy T-72 and PT-91 MBTs still serving in Polish Army tank battalions.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
![K9 rolls on as Egypt unveils systems, Australia fires and Vietnam and Norway place orders]()
K9 rolls on as Egypt unveils systems, Australia fires and Vietnam and Norway place orders
Hanwha Aerospace’s tracked K9 Thunder 155mm/52-calibre self-propelled howitzer has had notable success in the market over the past few years in Europe and Asia, with Poland alone ordering 316 systems.
-
![De-Risking the Future: Manufacturing Certainty for Unmanned Systems]()
De-Risking the Future: Manufacturing Certainty for Unmanned Systems
How strategic manufacturing partnership solves the industrialisation triad — Scale, Compliance and Cost — for hyper-growth defence tech innovators.
-
![Battlefield mobility, made in the UK]()
Battlefield mobility, made in the UK
How does Britain ensure that we can preserve the lives of our soldiers and allies – now and in the future – with homegrown innovation and resilient domestic manufacturing? At Pearson Engineering, we are proud to be a central part of the answer to this increasingly important question.
