US State Dept. Approves $2.5B Sale of Abrams Tanks to Romania

The State Department cleared an estimated $2.53 billion foreign military sale of M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tanks to Romania, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Nov. 9, cited by Defense News. DSCA notified Congress, which must approve the sale.

Romania wants to buy 54 of the General Dynamics Land Systems-manufactured M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams tanks, 54 M1A1 structures, four M88A2 Hercules Combat Recovery Vehicles, four M1110 Joint Assault Bridges, four M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicles and four Heavy Assault Scissor Bridges.

The order would also include 54 M240C 7.62mm machine guns, 5,940 120mm M1147 High Explosive, Multipurpose, Tracer (HEMP-T) cartridges, 4,230 120mm M1002 Target Practice Multipurpose, Tracer (TPMP-T) cartridges and a variety of other support equipment. Romanian lawmakers had already approved the National Defence Ministry’s request to buy 54 used M1A2 Abrams tanks from the United States in May 2023. The cost was estimated to be worth 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion).

The Romanian government is accelerating work on a number of procurements, including plans to buy new armoured vehicles, missile systems, warships, 155mm howitzers and the F-35 Lightning II fighter jet in the aftermath of Russia’s attack against Ukraine.