STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich., Aug. 16 (UPI) -- General Dynamics Land Systems has been awarded two contracts with a combined value of $42.4 million for Saudi Arabia's tank program.
The contracts were awarded by the U.S. Army TACOM Lifecycle Management Command on behalf of the Saudi military.
The contracts, valued at $12.6 million and $29.8 million, respectively, will provide materials and labor for the conversion of 102 M1A2 tanks to an M1A2S configuration.
The M1A2S conversion will increase the efficiency and capability of the tanks, the company said.
Employees at the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center in Lima, Ohio, will perform the work. The completion of 60 tanks is expected by Aug. 30, 2012, and 42 tanks will be finished by Sept. 30, 2012.
General Dynamics said the contracts continue work started in 2008 to design, develop, convert, implement and test a hybrid configuration of the M1A1, M1A2 and M1A2 System Enhancement Package tank variants for Saudi Arabia, which is upgrading its fleet of 314 Abrams tanks.
