The U.S. State Department has approved a potential Foreign Military Sale to Egypt for the refurbishment and upgrade of 555 M1A1 Abrams tanks, transforming them into the M1A1SA configuration.
The deal, estimated at $4.69 billion, underscores Egypt’s efforts to modernize its military capabilities while strengthening its strategic partnership with the United States.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) delivered the required certification to Congress, marking a significant step forward for the program. The package includes a range of equipment and services, such as Driver Vision Enhancer (DVE-A) Kits, Thermal Imaging System Gunner’s Sights, AGT-1500 tank engines, X-1100 transmissions, smoke grenade launchers, and spare parts. The refurbishment will be conducted at the Egyptian Tank Plant in Cairo, with General Dynamics Land Systems serving as the primary contractor.
Egypt remains the only nation outside the United States that produces the M1A1 Abrams tank. This refurbishment program is expected to enhance Egypt’s main battle tank fleet, enabling it to address modern threats and align its capabilities with U.S. and allied forces. The program also supports the U.S. goal of bolstering the security of Major Non-NATO Ally countries in the Middle East.
In a statement, the DSCA emphasized that the proposed sale would “contribute to the modernization of Egypt’s main battle tank fleet, enhancing its ability to meet current and future threats.” Additionally, the program is expected to reduce obsolescence, improve logistics efficiency, and ensure long-term interoperability with U.S. and allied military forces.
The program will leverage economies of scale by maintaining a steady flow of M1A1 components and parts from the United States, benefitting not only Egypt but also the Department of Defense and other U.S. security partners. The refurbishment effort is projected to positively impact Egypt’s logistics supply chain.
The Egyptian Tank Plant in Cairo will serve as the central hub for the refurbishment and upgrades. U.S. government and contractor personnel are expected to make semi-annual trips to Egypt over the next decade to oversee the program, including refurbishment, fielding, and training efforts.
Egypt has around 1,130 M1A1 Abrams tanks. The country also produces the M1A1 Abrams under license through a joint venture with the United States. The first batch of M1A1 Abrams tanks was delivered in 1998. The Egyptian Defense Company Tank Plant has produced around 1,200 M1A1 Abrams tanks. The M1A1 Abrams is armed with a 120 mm smoothbore M256 armament. The main cannon of the Egyptian M1A1 is also produced in Egypt. Egypt plans to upgrade its M1A1 Abrams tanks to the standard M1A2.
The Egyptian Army operates a vast number of M1A1s MBTs which were assembled between 1984 and 2019, as well as substantial numbers of legacy Soviet T-54, T-55 and T-62s and US M60s.
The older MBTs in Egypt’s inventory had been projected to reach the end of their useful service life in the 2020s but this upgrade extends the life of the first M1A1s which rolled out of the factory four decades ago and is a substantial boost in capability.
