Another 14 examples are going to be sent to Egypt in August. The parts are delivered straight from the General Dynamics Land Systems factory located in Lima, Ohio. The US-Egyptian co-production of the vehicles is carried out at the Egyptian Tank Plant. The industrial initiative provides almost two thousand jobs for the locals. Egypt ordered 125 M1A1 Abrams MBTs back in 2011. The Abrams tanks are going to complement the 1000 tanks of this type already owned by the Egyptian Army. The first examples of the tanks were delivered to Egypt back in 1984, while the ETP production, with the use of the US-supplied parts, began back in 1992.

Delivery of the components needed for production of the Abrams MBTs constitutes a part of the "ongoing security support to Egypt” to confront terrorism. The value of the support package reaches USD 1.3 billion per year.

The supplies of the military equipment are delayed, due to the fact that the programme was held up in July 2013, once the Egyptian military had overthrown President Mohammed Mursi. The United States of America reactivated the armament transfer programme a year later. Lately, Egyptians also received the first examples of the F-16C/D Block 52 fighter jets.

The new US-made weaponry is going to help the Egyptians to counteract the Islamic extremism in the region. Since 2011, the Egyptian Army has been involved in a conflict of a varied intensity. The fights against the terrorist take place in the Sinai peninsula. M1A1 Abrams tanks were also involved in the operations.  The conflict has been escalated in July. Egyptian air force is also involved in civil wars taking place in Libya and Yemen as well.

Andrzej Hładij