The Egyptian Ministry of Defense continues to produce locally M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks (MBT) with the collaboration of American Company General Dynamics.
Pictures were recently released on Internet showing M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks 95% manufactured in Egypt.
The M1A1 is a third-generation of American Main Battle Tank that has been produced in Egypt since 1992. The main components the M1A21 are manufactured locally including the hull, the turret, and ammunition. The M1A1 Abrams is the backbone of the Egyptian army.
On October 25, 2011, Egypt and the United States celebrated the resumption of co-production of M1A1 Abrams Tanks at a ceremony held at the Egyptian Tank Plant outside of Cairo. The manufacturing of M1A1s in Egypt is a key part of ongoing U.S. support for Egypt’s crucial role as a factor of security and stability in the region. Through this program, the Tank Plant provides jobs for over 2500 Egyptians and supports the capacity of the Egyptian Armed Forces to defend the country.
Since the beginning of the M1A1 Co-production Program, a joint venture between the governments of the United States and Egypt to produce parts and assemble tank kits for the M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank (MBT), the Egyptian Defense Company Tank Plant has produced around 1,200 M1A1 Abrams main battle tank in Egypt.
The first version of the M1 Abrams was armed with one 105mm cannon, while the M1A1 is armed with one 120 mm smoothbore M256 armament equipped with a muzzle reference system to measure the bend of the gun tube. The main cannon of the Egyptian M1A1 is also produced license in Egypt.
The M1A1 Abrams has a crew of four, including the driver, commander, gunner and loader. The driver is seated at the front of the vehicle in the center while the three other crew members are located in the turret. The commander and gunner are seated on the right of the turret and the loader on the left.
The hull and turret of the M1A1 is of advanced armor construction similar to the Chobham armor developed in the UK and gives protection against ATGWs (Anti-Tank Guided Weapons) and standard ammunition. The 120mm of the M1A1 Abrams MBT can fired a various types of ammunition, as the M829A1 APFSDS-T ammunition (kinetic energy round with long rod penetrator, made of depleted uranium, with a muzzle velocity of 1,575 m/sec, and a maximum effective range of 3,500 meters, but engagement ranges approaching 4,000 meters were successfully demonstrated during Operation Desert Storm.
