US State Department approves $6B arms sale to Poland

The US State Department has approved an estimated $6 billion sale of M1 Abrams tanks and other equipment to Poland, Report informs referring to DefenseNews.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency on Friday notified Congress of the potential sale.

Poland has requested to purchase 250 General Dynamics Land Systems-manufactured M1A2SEPv3 Abrams tanks, 250 AN/VLQ-12 CREW Duke counter-improvised explosive device systems, 26 M88A2 HERCULES Combat Recovery vehicles and 17 M1110 joint assault bridges.

Poland also plans to buy as part of the deal 276 M2 .50 caliber machine guns, 500 M240C 7.62mm machine guns and other equipment and parts needed to operate the weapon systems.

Other contractors involved in the sale are BAE Systems, Leonardo DRS, Honeywell, Raytheon Technologies and Lockheed Martin.

Poland, whose brigades are currently equipped with Leopard 2A4 and Leopard 2A5 tanks, is seeking to replace the Soviet-designed T-72 and PT-91 tanks, to counter the most modern Russian T-14 Armata tanks.