Afghanistan requests US weapons

The US State Department has made a determination approving a potential foreign military sale (FMS) for individual and crew served weapons, equipment, training, and support to Afghanistan at a cost of $60 million, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on 18 August.

Afghanistan has requested 4,891 M16A4 5.56mm rifles; 485 M240B 7.62mm machine guns; and 800 M2 .50 calibre machine guns. The request also includes M3 tripod machine gun mounts; MK-93 40mm machine gun mounts; MK-19 40mm grenade launchers; M110 7.62mm sniper rifles; and M249 light automatic machine guns.

Spares, training and support equipment and services are also included in the request. 

The Afghanistan National Army (ANA) will use the equipment and weapons in ongoing offensive and defensive counter-insurgency operations.

Is the sale goes ahead FN America will be the principal contractor for the M240B machine guns. The principal contractors for M2, M16A4 and other weapons will be determined in open competitions.

While equipment for the ANA is typically purchased with Title 10 Afghanistan Security Forces Fund appropriations and implemented by DSCA through pseudo-FMS cases, Afghanistan will use US government grants to fund and support this proposed purchase.