The U.S. State Department has officially sanctioned a potential Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Romania, greenlighting the acquisition of M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tanks and associated equipment at an approximate cost of $2.53 billion. Romania’s formal request includes the procurement of fifty-four (54) M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams Main Battle Tanks, fifty-four (54) M1A1 Structures, four (4) M88A2 HERCULES Combat Recovery Vehicles, four (4) M1110 Joint Assault Bridges, four (4) M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicles, four (4) Heavy Assault Scissor Bridges (HASB), fifty-four (54) M240C 7.62mm machine guns, ten (10) AGT1500 Gas Turbine engines, five thousand nine hundred forty (5,940) 120mm M1147 High Explosive, Multipurpose, Tracer (HEMP-T) cartridges, and four thousand two hundred thirty (4,230) 120mm M1002 Target Practice (TP) cartridges.
Practice Multipurpose, Tracer (TPMP-T) cartridges.
The package also encompasses mine rollers; Enhanced Heavy Equipment Transporter (EHET) M1300 tractors paired with M1302 trailers equipped with B-Kit/Frag Kit; Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) M978A4 with B-Kit/Frag Kit; Tank Rack Modules (TRM) M107A1 fuel trailer (2500 gal) with B-Kit/Frag Kit; HEMTT A4 M1120 Load Handling System (LHS) with B-Kit/Frag Kit; M1076A1 with flat rack and B-Kit/Frag Kit; Forward Repair Systems; trailer-mounted generators; Common Remote Operated Weapons Station Low Profile (CROWS-LP); M2A1 .50 caliber machine guns; communications equipment; global positioning system (GPS) receivers; training ammunition; spare parts; Special Tools and Test Equipment (STTE); technical manuals and publications; maintenance trainers; and gunnery training systems, including tank driver’s trainers.
new equipment training; U.S. Government technical, engineering, and concurrent spare parts.
The M1 Abrams, a third-generation American main battle tank, was originally designed by Chrysler Defense (now General Dynamics Land Systems) and named in honor of General Creighton Abrams. Tailored for contemporary armored ground warfare, it stands out as one of the heaviest tanks currently in service, weighing nearly 68 short tons (62 metric tons). The M1 Abrams introduced several cutting-edge technologies to U.S. armored forces, including a multifuel turbine engine, Chobham composite armor, a computerized fire control system, separate ammunition storage in a blowout compartment, and NBC protection for crew safety. The M1 was equipped with a license-produced Rheinmetall 120 mm L/44 gun designated M256.
Originating from the unsuccessful MBT-70 project, which aimed to replace the outdated M60 tank, the M1 Abrams went through a series of advancements. The development resulted in three primary operational versions: the M1, M1A1, and M1A2. Each successive iteration brought enhancements in armament, protection, and electronics, solidifying the M1 Abrams as a formidable presence in modern armored warfare.
The M1074 Joint Assault Bridge System (also identified as M1110 or JABS) is an armored military engineering vehicle constructed on the chassis of the Abrams M1A1 main battle tank. On a similar note, the M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicle (ABV) serves as a U.S. military vehicle designed for the clearance of mines and explosives. It is built upon the M1 Abrams chassis and is equipped with a mine plow along with line charges for effective clearing operations.