EGYPT WINS APPROVAL FOR ADVANCED U.S. TANK SHELL

IMRA ^ | Tuesday, December 2, 2003 | MENL

[yonif]

WASHINGTON [MENL] -- Egypt plans to acquire an advanced tank shell from the United States.

The Bush administration has approved an Egyptian request for a 120 mm armor piercing shell for its fleet of M1A1 main battle tanks. Cairo has about 600 M1A1 and plans to assemble another 150 U.S.-origin tanks in Egypt. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency said it has notified Congress of the administration's approval of the 120 mm Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot-Tracer Kinetic Energy Tungsten Advanced cartridges for Egypt. The proposed sale has been estimated at $54 million. Egypt has requested the sale of up to 10,040 non-standard APFSDS-T rounds. The Pentagon agency said the APFSDS-T would mark the procurement of additional ammunition for the M1A1 tank fleet.

[yonif]

Ping.

[faithincowboys]

These kinds of things disturb me greatly. This sounds extraordinarily ill-advised.

[Bobby777]

hoo boy ... yikes ...

[DoughtyOne]

Bump...

...in Israel's road.

Why does Egypt need 750 tanks with this quality of ammo?

[Bobby777]

Why does Egypt need 750 tanks with this quality of ammo?

well, it's not like they attacked Israel in 1956, 1967 (or were planning to), or in 1973 ...

oh wait ... (I'm sure you're already aware) ...

I think Egypt was one of those that attacked Israel in 1948 too, within 24 hours of the "birth" of the nation ...

[Bobby777]

I don't know, but it sounds like it's this advanced model ...

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/m829a1.htm

[exit82]

There is no reason Egypt requires this kind of round for defensive measures. They haven't been so helpful in the WOT that we need to reward them with anything.

Sounds like another State Dept. involved snafu.

[The KG9 Kid]

You've got to remember that those Egyptian tanks would have to tool about a thousand plus miles across the hellish wasteland of the Sinai getting pulverized by the IDF air force before they ever had a chance to get within cannon range of Israel.

The Sinai is littered with the carcasses of the Egyptian tanks from all their other attacks against Israel. The Egyptians would just be adding new tanks to the same graveyard.

[Bobby777]

oh, I know ... and even though it's a different battlefield now, in 1973 (IIRC, not the 1967 war) the IDF took serious losses because the Egyptians had their SAM's nearby ... as you say, once they got into the Sinai, the IDF was able to give them the what-for ...

I believe Israel lost 500 tanks in the first 3 days in 1973 ...

but a coordinated attack by Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, etc. would still put a heavy strain on the IDF ... I know Syria bought a bunch of old tanks from the Ukraine to be upgraded ... I don't know of their other forces but I'm guessing their stuff is more of the T-72 type ... (I think the Ukraine purchase was T-55, T-62-type old stuff?) ...

[yonif]

This is yet one example of the continuing help by the US administration, in the area of military, Egypt and also to the extent Saudi Arabia are receiving.

[yonif]

The State Dept. is indeed involved. However, this is being done with the US administration approval.

[GeronL]

120 mm Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot-Tracer Kinetic Energy Tungsten Advanced cartridges

just name it the Klingon!

[exit82]

Yes, and that makes it even more disturbing.

[Prodigal Son]

the 120 mm Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot-Tracer Kinetic Energy Tungsten Advanced cartridges

Wow. That's a mouthful.

[glorgau]

Tungsten, not Depleted Uranium. They get second best.

I assume that Egypt will have to get leftover depleted uranium from Iran's enrichment process.

[DoughtyOne]

Yep. Exactly.

[DoughtyOne]

Well somebody seems to be buying that. We aren't. Heh heh heh...

[Lazamataz]

Egypt is very anti-Israeli, but the US has a pro-Israel position.

The only reasonable conclusion that can be made is that tanks are going to be obsolete quite shortly.