Notice2026-00359
Arms Sales Notification
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
January 12, 2026
Issuing agencies
Defense Department
Abstract
The DoD is publishing the unclassified text of an arms sales notification.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 7 (Monday, January 12, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 7 (Monday, January 12, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1150-1151]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-00359]
[[Page 1150]]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Office of the Secretary
[Transmittal No. 20-29]
Arms Sales Notification
AGENCY: Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Department of Defense
(DoD).
ACTION: Arms sales notice.
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SUMMARY: The DoD is publishing the unclassified text of an arms sales
notification.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Urooj Zahra at (703) 695-6233,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d8adaab7b7b2f6a2b9b0aab9f6bbb1ae98b5b9b1b4f6b5b1b4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c6b3b4a9a9ace8bca7aeb4a7e8a5afb086aba7afaae8abafaa">[email protected]</span></a>, or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b4d0c7d7d59adad7c69ac6c7c6d7d9d3d9c09ad8ddc7c09ad7dac799d9d6ccf4d9d5ddd89ad9ddd8"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5d392e3e3c73333e2f732f2e2f3e303a30297331342e29733e332e70303f251d303c343173303431">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 36(b) arms sales notification is
published to fulfill the requirements of section 155 of Public Law 104-
164 dated July 21, 1996. The following is a copy of a letter to the
Speaker of the House of Representatives with attached Transmittal 20-
29, Policy Justification, and Sensitivity of Technology.
Dated: January 8, 2026.
Stephanie J. Bost,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
BILLING CODE 6001-FR-P
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN12JA26.026
BILLING CODE 6001-FR-C
Transmittal No. 20-29
Notice of Proposed Issuance of Letter of Offer Pursuant to Section
36(b)(1) of the Arms Export Control Act, as amended
(i) Prospective Purchaser: Government of Egypt
(ii) Total Estimated Value:
Major Defense Equipment *............... $ 0
Other................................... $4.69 billion
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TOTAL................................. $4.69 billion
Funding Source: Foreign Military Financing (FMF)
(iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or
Services under Consideration for Purchase: The Government of Egypt has
requested a possible sale to refurbish and upgrade five hundred fifty-
five (555) M1A1 Abrams tanks into M1A1SA configuration tanks.
Major Defense Equipment (MDE):
None
Non-Major Defense Equipment:
The following non-MDE items will also be included: Five hundred
fifty-five (555) AN/VAS-5B Driver Vision Enhancer (DVE-A) kits; five
hundred fifty-five (555) Thermal Imaging System (TIS) gunner sights;
AGT-1500 tank engines; X-1100 tank transmissions; M250 smoke grenade
launchers; spare parts;
[[Page 1151]]
support equipment; depot level support; Government furnished equipment
(GFE); repair parts; repair and return program; United States (U.S.)
Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support
services; and other related elements of logistics and program support.
(iv) Military Department: Army (EG-B-VJE)
(v) Prior Related Cases, if any: EG-B-NFY
(vi) Sales Commission, Fee, etc., Paid, Offered, or Agreed to be
Paid: None known
(vii) Sensitivity of Technology Contained in the Defense Article or
Defense Services Proposed to be Sold: See Attached Annex
(viii) Date Report Delivered to Congress: December 20, 2024
* as defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control Act.
POLICY JUSTIFICATION
Egypt--Abrams Tank Refurbishment, Support, and Equipment
The Government of Egypt has requested a possible sale to refurbish
and upgrade five hundred fifty-five (555) M1A1 Abrams tanks into M1A1SA
configuration tanks. The following non-MDE items will also be included:
five hundred fifty-five (555) AN/VAS-5B Driver Vision Enhancer (DVE-A)
kits; five hundred fifty-five (555) Thermal Imaging System (TIS) gunner
sights; M250 smoke grenade launchers; AGT-1500 tank engines; X-1100
tank transmissions; spare parts; support equipment; depot level
support; Government furnished Equipment (GFE); repair parts; repair and
return program; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical,
and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics
and program support. The estimated total program cost is $4.69 billion.
This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national
security of the U.S. by helping to improve the security of a major non-
NATO ally that continues to be an important strategic partner in the
Middle East. Egypt is the only country in the world, other than the
U.S., that produces the M1A1 Abrams. The Egyptian Refurbishment Program
will significantly contribute to the flow of M1A1 components and parts
from the United States, creating economies of scale and reducing
overall unit price of scarce M1A1 parts for the Department of Defense
and other U.S. security partners.
This proposed sale will contribute to the modernization of Egypt's
main battle tank fleet, enhancing its ability to meet current and
future threats. These tanks will contribute to Egypt's goal of updating
its military capability while further enhancing interoperability with
the United States and other allies. Egypt will have no difficulty
absorbing this equipment into its armed forces, as this program does
not provide additional tanks and updating Egypt's tanks to a common,
modern configuration will reduce obsolescence and positively impact the
logistics supply chain.
The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the
basic military balance in the region.
The M1A1SA tank contractor will be General Dynamics Land Systems,
located in Sterling Heights, MI. Refurbishment and upgrade will take
place at the Egyptian Tank Plant, located in Cairo, Egypt. There are no
known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential
sale.
Implementation of this proposed sale will require semi-annual trips
to Egypt involving up to twenty U.S. Government and twenty contractor
representatives for a period of up to ten years to manage the
refurbishment, fielding, and training for the program.
There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a
result of this proposed sale.
Transmittal No. 20-29
Notice of Proposed Issuance of Letter of Offer Pursuant to Section
36(b)(1) of the Arms Export Control Act
Annex
Item No. vii
(vii) Sensitivity of Technology:
1. The AN/VAS-5B Driver Vision Enhancer--Abrams (DVE-A) is a
passive thermal imaging system used to enhance a driver's viewing
capabilities while operating during degraded visual conditions such as
darkness, fog, smoke, or dust. The DVE-A is a model of the DVE designed
specifically for the Abrams tank that allows safe, rapid egress for the
driver. The DVE-A utilizes a 640 x 480 long wave detector.
2. The AGT 1500 Gas Turbine Propulsion System, used in the Abrams
tank, is a unique application of armored vehicle power pack technology.
The hardware is composed of the AGT-1500 engine and X-1100
transmission.
3. The Thermal Imaging System (TIS) gunner's sight constitutes a
target acquisition system which, when operated with other tank systems,
gives the tank crew a substantial advantage over potential threats. The
TIS provides the gunner and commander with the ability to effectively
aim and fire the tank main armament system under a broad range of
adverse battlefield conditions.
4. A major survivability feature of the Abrams tank is the
compartmentation of fuel and ammunition. Compartmentation is the
positive separation of the crew and critical components from
combustible materials such that if the fuel or ammunition is ignited or
detonated by an incoming threat round, the crew is fully protected.
Compartmentation significantly enhances crew survivability and
substantially reduces the likelihood of the tank being immobilized by
an ammunition explosion and fire.
5. The highest level of classification of defense articles,
components, and services included in this potential sale is SECRET.
6. If a technologically advanced adversary were to obtain knowledge
of the hardware and software elements, the information could be used to
develop countermeasures or equivalent systems which might reduce system
effectiveness or be used in the development of a system with similar or
advanced capabilities.
7. A determination has been made that Egypt can provide
substantially the same degree of protection for the sensitive
technology being released as the U.S. Government. This sale is
necessary in furtherance of the U.S. foreign policy and national
security objectives outlined in the Policy Justification.
8. All defense articles and services listed in this transmittal
have been authorized for release and export to the Government of Egypt.
[FR Doc. 2026-00359 Filed 1-9-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6001-FR-P
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