US firm wins $42.2m Saudi tanks contracts

General Dynamics Land Systems has been awarded two contracts with a combined value of $42.4m in Saudi Arabia, it said on Wednesday.The contracts were awarded by the US Army TACOM Lifecycle Management Command on behalf of the Royal Saudi Land Forces.The contract is part of a plan by Saudi Arabia to upgrade its entire fleet of 314 Abrams tanks, it said in a statement.The contracts, valued at $12.6m and $29.8m respectively, will see the General Dynamics unit provide materials and labour for the conversion of 102 M1A2 tanks to an M1A2S configuration.The M1A2S conversion will increase the efficiency and capability of the tank. The completion of 60 tanks is expected by August 30, 2012, and another 42 tanks will be finished by September 30, 2012.This contract continues work started in 2008 to design, develop, convert, implement and test a hybrid configuration of the M1A1, M1A2 and M1A2 System Enhancement Package (SEP) tank variants for Saudi Arabia.Last month it was reported that Saudi Arabia was buying hundreds of tanks from Germany in a multi-billion euro deal.The oil-rich Gulf state has bought 44 Leopard tanks in the first phase of the deal for a total of 200 tanks in coming months, sources said.The purchase follows a $93 billion stimulus package from Saudi King Abdullah\'s in March that included extra support for police and security forces. From / Arabian Business News