Kuwait Armed Forces Unveils Upgraded M1A2K Abrams Main Battle Tank

The General Staff Headquarters of the Kuwait Armed Forces unveils upgraded M1A2K Abrams main battle tank. The Government of Kuwait has requested a foreign military sale (FMS) of M1A2Ks, ammunition and associated equipment from the United States. Kuwaiti M1A2K has some unique modifications compared to M1A2 SEPv2 used by the US Army. New Auxiliary Cooling and Power System (ACPS) in the rear turret bustle, which replaces old Thermal Management System (TMS) on SEP. The Counter Sniper Anti Meterial Mount (CS/AMM) with 12.7mm M2 heavy machine gun on the main barrel 7.62mm M240 coax hidden inside gun mantlet and CROWS on the turret front.

On behalf of His Excellency the Chief of the General Staff of the Army, a delegation from the Land Force headed by the Assistant Commander of the Land Force, Brigadier General Abdullah Ali Al-Jaba’a, accompanied by a number of commanding officers, attended the official ceremony for the Kuwaiti army’s receipt of the M1A2K tank in the United States. The upgraded tank will improve Kuwait’s capability to meet current and future threats by enabling continued employment of the M1A2 Abrams main battle tank and supporting modernization of the country’s tank fleet. The training ammunition will be used to qualify Kuwait’s M1A2 tanks.

Under the estimated $59.6 million sale, Kuwait is seeking delivery of 10,260 120MM M865 Target Practice Cone Stabilized Discarding Sabot Tracer (TPCSDS-T) Cartridges and 9,810 120MM M1002 Target Practice Multipurpose Tracer (TPMP-T) Cartridges. Additionally, the sale package will include 215,000 50 Calibre, 4 Ball, 1 Tracer Cartridges, 600,000 7.62MM 4 Ball, M80/1 Tracer, M62 Linked Cartridges, as well as containers, munitions, support and test equipment, integration and test support, spare and repair parts along with technical and logistics programme support services. The various training ammunition will be used by Kuwait’s M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks.

The M1 Abrams is a third-generation American main battle tank designed by Chrysler Defense (now General Dynamics Land Systems) and named for General Creighton Abrams. Conceived for modern armored ground warfare and now one of the heaviest tanks in service at nearly 68 short tons, it introduced several innovative features, including a multifuel turbine engine, sophisticated Chobham composite armor, a computer fire control system, separate ammunition storage in a blow-out compartment, and NBC protection for crew safety. The export version is used by the armies of Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Poland, and Iraq. The Abrams was first used in combat in the Persian Gulf War.