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Oct. 26, 2018 / 9:55 AM

General Dynamics wins contract to upgrade M1 Abrams tanks

M1A2 SEP Abrams TUSK demonstrating Mounted Soldier System. Photo courtesy of U.S. Army.

M1A2 SEP Abrams TUSK demonstrating Mounted Soldier System. Photo courtesy of U.S. Army.

Oct. 26 (UPI) -- General Dynamics Land Systems won an award to provide various electronic components for the M1 Abrams tank by the Defense Logistics Agency.

The $26 million firm-fixed-price delivery order deal, announced Thursday by the Department of Defense, is against a five-year contract.

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This latest contract is part of a plan by the Defense Department to modernize the M1A1 Abrams tanks.

In late 2017, General Dynamics signed a $2.6 billion contract to upgrade 786 M1 Abrams tanks, which first went into production in 1980.

Since then, three versions the tank have hit the market: the M1, M1A1 and M1A2. Those versions have seen battle in the Gulf War, the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan.

The latest upgrade to the M1A1 Abrams vehicles will be the M1A2 System Enhancement Package Version 3.

"This version is the most modernized configuration of the Abrams tank, having improved force protection and system survivability enhancements and increased lethality over the M1A1 and previous M1A2 variants," Lt. Col. Justin Shell, the Army's product manager for Abrams, said in an October news release.

The contract services will be performed in Michigan and Florida.

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The date of completion on the contract is Sept. 22, 2022.

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