Posted on 10/31/2007 7:36:22 AM PDT by SJackson
Egypt - TOW IIA Anti-Armor Guided Missiles
(Source: US Defense Security Cooperation Agency; issued Oct. 30, 2007)
[With thanks to www.defense-aerospace.com ]
WASHINGTON --- On October 29, 2007 the Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Egypt of TOW IIA anti-armor guided missiles as well as associated equipment and services.
The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $99 million.
The Government of Egypt has requested a possible sale of 2,000 TOW 2A Missiles, plus 28 buy-to-fly missiles, containers, test sets and support equipment, spare and repair parts, publications and technical data, maintenance, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government (USG) and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is $99 million.
This sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country that has been and continues to be an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East.
Egypt needs these TOW 2A missiles and launchers to augment its current inventory and provide mechanized infantry and field artillery units with an anti-armor capability. Egypt will have no difficulty absorbing these additional missiles into its armed forces since it already has TOW missiles in its inventory, which were previously procured from the United States.
The sale of this equipment and support will not affect the basic military balance in the region.
The two U.S. Government representatives already in country, who currently manage the existing TOW 2A programs, will also manage this program.
The prime contractor will be Raytheon Company, Tucson, AZ. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.
There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.
This notice of a potential sale is required by law; it does not mean that the sale has been concluded.
Why would an Egyptian tank crew member have a problem with this?
I suspect you understood what I was talking about.
Yes, I did. But the Israelis have more to fear than do the American tankers. TOWs are not a particularly good terrorist weapon, for example.
They have a fundy moslem problem for sure.
‘Yes, I did. But the Israelis have more to fear than do the American tankers. TOWs are not a particularly good terrorist weapon, for example.’
Yes, but I’m not an Israeli. And we have troops on the ground in the ME.
Egypts internal politics are just as unstable as Pakistan’s
They have a fundy moslem problem for sure.
Big time. Without going on three decades of martial law, they would have already fallen ala Iran, or Afghanistan did to the Taliban in my view.
Egypt could still go down any day. Probably just a matter of time.
Yep, and the MSM will be caught ‘by surprise’ when it happens.
And call for Jimmy Carter to save the day....(eyes rolling)
I can’t see any scenario where American tanks would face the Egyptians. So the only risk would be a transfer from the Egyptians to terrorists. And as I noted, there are better weapons for terrorists to use than TOWs.
They could get smuggled into Iraq and used against US, too. There should be a near total arms embargo to Arab countries at this moment. Instead we keep selling ‘em more. It’s absurd. And on the same day that the UN reports that Hezbullah has been re-equipped with superior firepower via smuggling from Syria. These weapons are not safe, even in an Arab government armory.
‘I can’t see any scenario where American tanks would face the Egyptians.’
Might I suggest you read up on the internal politics of Egypt?
That government has been on the edge of the abyss far longer than Pakistan.
Yes, the Egyptians have M1 Abrams tanks. But reportedly they lack the advanced armor that makes the Abrams & (British) Chieftain tanks so tough to penetrate.
What in the world is the U.S. government thinking?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.