Spain could buy BAE Systems-built assault amphibious vehicles(AAV) following a US State Department approval for the possible sale of 11 AAVs to the European country. As outlined in the approval, announced on March 15, Spain is looking to buy 11 rebuilt assault amphibious vehicles in three different configurations under a deal that would be worth an estimated $107 million. The state department’s approval sale notifications are not guarantees of sale, and quantities and dollar figures can often change during final negotiations.
Also included in the deal would be Enhanced Armor Applique Kits (EAAK), spare and repair parts, tools and training material. Spain currently operates 19 Assault Amphibious Vehicles (AAVs) that can be deployed from the navy’s flagship aircraft carrier ESPS Juan Carlos I and ro-ro ship MartÃn Posadillo. The fully-tracked vehicles, nicknamed the “amtrack,” is used to land surface assault forces and their equipment from assault ships during amphibious operations and to conduct mechanized operations and related combat support.
The sale will “support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving the security of a NATO ally which is an important force for political stability and economic progress in Europe,” the DSCA said in a press release on Friday. While the sale has not been formally concluded, the DSCA, an agency of the Defense Department, said in a statement the principal contractor is expected to be BAE Systems in York, Pa., and Anniston, Ala.
