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U.S. Approves Over $5 Billion Arms Sale to Egypt, Including $4.69 Billion Tank Upgrade for 555 Tanks and $630 Million in Missiles

Dec 21, 2024, 07:30 AM

The U.S. State Department has authorized a potential arms sale to Egypt valued at over $5 billion. This includes a $4.69 billion deal to upgrade Egypt's fleet of M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks to the M1A1 SA standard, which is similar to the version recently acquired by Morocco. The upgrade will involve 555 tanks. Additionally, a separate agreement has been approved for the sale of Hellfire AGM-114R missiles and related support, estimated at $630 million. The U.S. government has emphasized that these sales are intended to strengthen Egypt's security as a key strategic partner in the Middle East, particularly in light of its role in mediating the Gaza crisis. Egypt is currently the sixth largest arms importer globally.