US Approves $1.2 Billion Upgrade for Morocco’s M1A1 Abrams Tanks

The US State Department has approved a possible sale to Morocco of enhancements to 162 Abrams tanks for an estimated cost of $1.259 billion.

The prime contractor will be General Dynamics Land Systems. Refurbishment work will be performed at Anniston Army Depot in Anniston, Alabama and the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center in Lima, Ohio.

There are currently no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale, but one is expected due to Moroccan law.

The Government of Morocco has requested to purchase enhancements to one hundred sixty-two (162) Abrams tanks procured through the Excess Defense Article (EDA) program to one of the following variants:  M1A1 Situational Awareness (baseline version), M1A2M (includes Commander’s Independent Thermal Viewer) or M1A1 U.S. Marine Corps version (includes Slew to Cue).

Included in the possible sale are one hundred sixty-two (162) M2 Chrysler Mount Machine Guns; three hundred twenty-four (324) M240 Machine Guns; one thousand thirty-five (1,035) M865 Training SABOT Rounds; and one thousand, six hundred ten (1,610) M831Al HEAT Rounds.

Also included are one hundred sixty-two (162) Export Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio Systems (SINCGARS); one hundred sixty-two (162) RT-1702 Receiver Transmitters; one hundred sixty-two (162) M250 Smoke Grenade Launchers; M962 .50 caliber rounds; special armor; Hunter/Killer technology, which may include the Commander’s Independent Thermal Viewer (CITV) or Slew to Cue solution; Commander’s Weapon Station Variant which may include the Commander’s Weapon Station (CWS), Stabilized Commander’s Weapon Station (SCWS), or Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station- Low Profile (CROW-LP).