Bahrain Army Equipment
|
|
| System |
Source |
Inventory |
| 1990 |
1995 |
2000 |
2005 |
2010 |
2013 |
2015 |
2020 |
2025 |
2030 |
| Personnel (In Thousands) |
|
5 |
8.5 |
8.5 |
8.5 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
|
Active |
|
5 |
8.5 |
8.5 |
8.5 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
|
Reserve |
|
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
| Armor |
54 |
106 |
166 |
166 |
166 |
166 |
166 |
166 |
156 |
154 |
| Heavy / Main Battle Tanks
|
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
50 |
100 |
| 105mm |
M60A3 |
US |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
50 |
100 |
The US State Department made a determination 19 March 2024 approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Bahrain of M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tanks and related equipment for an estimated cost of $2.2 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale.
The Government of Bahrain requested to buy fifty (50) M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams Main Battle Tanks; four (4) M88A2 HERCULES Combat Recovery Vehicles; eight (8) M1110 Joint Assault Bridges; eight (8) M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicles; eight (8) Heavy Assault Scissor Bridge (HASB); one hundred (100) M240 Coaxial 7.62mm machine guns; three (3) AGT1500 Gas Turbine engines; six thousand (6,000) 120mm M1002 Target Practice Multipurpose Tracer (TPMP-T) projectiles; and five thousand seven hundred sixty (5,760) 120mm M1147 High Explosive Multipurpose Tracers.
Also included are M2A1 .50 caliber machine guns; Common Remote Operated Weapons Station Low Profile (CROWS-LP); Forward Repair System; M250 smoke grenade launchers; service and training ammunition; M1300/M1302 Enhanced Heavy Equipment Transporter System (EHETS); M978A4 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) tanker and Load Handling System (LHS); M074A1 Palletized Load Systems and trailers and flat racks; support and test equipment; integration and test support; spare and repair parts; Special Tools and Test Equipment (STTE); communications equipment; Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM)-based Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers; software delivery and support; Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) equipment; publications and technical manuals; maintenance trainers; training equipment; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services; Next Generation Automatic Test System (NGATS); and other related elements of logistics and program support.
The new M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams will begin to replace Bahrain's M60 Patton fleet, The 50-ton M60 traces its ancestry all the way back to the M26 Pershing heavy tank, a few dozen of which saw action at the end of the World War II. The Pershing evolved into a series of Patton tanks armed with 90mm guns, including the M46, M47 and M48. The M60, introduced in 1960, was the last, designed to overmatch the ubiquitous Soviet T-55 tank with heavier armor and long M68 105 millimeter gun. However, by the 1980s the Soviet Union had exported large numbers of the T-72 tank, which equaled or outmatched the Patton in armor and firepower.
In March 2022, Bahrain was in talks with the Government of India to acquire a major battle tank for the ground forces of the East Asian kingdom, BulgarianMilitary.com has learned, citing a Tactical Report. This includes the purchase of the Indian 120mm Arjun Mk II tank, which has some major improvements from its old version Arjun MBT, as well as the integration of some custom-made Israeli solutions.
Abrams tanks, among the heaviest in the world, are a mainstay of the US military. Bahrain will join Kuwait and its neighbour Saudi Arabia in buying the M1A2 MBT, with orders of 436 and 526 vehicles, respectively. The US currently has around 1,300 of the vehicles in its active inventory. Since 1992, the US Army has been upgrading its 120mm-armed M1A1 tracked MBTs to the M1A2 model. The latest production standard is the M1A2 System Enhancement Package v3, now known as the M1A2C, which incorporates a new armor layout, an ammunition data link to enable the firing of smart 120mm rounds, an auxiliary power unit and several upgrades to the electronic architecture.
This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to improve the security of a Major Non-NATO Ally that is an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East.
The proposed sale will improve Bahrain's capability to meet current and future threats by providing a credible force that can deter adversaries and provide the capability to participate in regional operations with the United States and other U.S. partner nations. Bahrain will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces. The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.
The principal contractors will be General Dynamics Land Systems, Sterling Heights, MI; BAE Systems, York, PA; Leonardo DRS, Arlington, VA; Honeywell Aerospace, Phoenix, AZ; RTX Corporation, McKinney, TX; and Lockheed Martin, Orlando, FL. The purchaser typically requests offsets. Any offset agreement will be defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the contractor.
Implementation of this proposed sale will require the assignment of one (1) U.S. Government and thirty (30) U.S. contractor representatives to travel to Bahrain for a duration of up to five years to support equipment fielding and training. There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.
The description and dollar value are for the highest estimated quantity and dollar value based on initial requirements. Actual dollar value will be lower depending on final requirements, budget authority, and signed sales agreement(s), if and when concluded.
| Medium / Main Battle Tanks
|
54 |
- |
166 |
166 |
166 |
166 |
166 |
166 |
106 |
54 |
| 105mm |
M60A3 |
US |
54 |
106 |
166 |
166 |
166 |
166 |
166 |
166 |
106 |
54 |
| Infantry Fighting Vehicles |
- |
- |
25 |
25 |
88 |
88 |
88 |
88 |
88 |
88 |
| 25mm |
YPR-765 / AIFV-B |
NL / BE |
-- |
-- |
25 |
25 |
75 |
75 |
75 |
75 |
75 |
75 |
| 12.7mm? |
ARMA |
TU |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
13 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
| Armored Personnel Carriers |
120 |
235 |
235 |
359 |
459 |
459 |
459 |
459 |
459 |
459 |
| Tracked
| ..
|
115 |
115 |
239 |
339 |
339 |
339 |
339 |
339 |
339 |
| 12.7mm |
M113A21 |
US |
-- |
115 |
115 |
239 |
339 |
339 |
339 |
339 |
339 |
339 |
| Wheeled
|
120 |
120 |
120 |
120 |
120 |
120 |
120 |
120 |
120 |
120 |
| 7.62mm |
M3 VTT2 |
FRA |
110 |
110 |
110 |
110 |
110 |
110 |
110 |
110 |
110 |
110 |
| 7.62mm |
Saxon |
UK |
10 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
| Light AFV |
46 |
46 |
81 |
108 |
123 |
123 |
123 |
123 |
123 |
123 |
| 90mm |
AML-90 |
FRA |
22 |
22 |
22 |
22 |
22 |
22 |
22 |
22 |
22 |
22 |
| 76mm |
Saladin3 |
UK |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
| 12.7mm |
M113 C&R |
NL |
-- |
-- |
35 |
35 |
35 |
35 |
35 |
35 |
35 |
35 |
| 12.7mm |
Cobra |
TU |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
| 12.7mm |
Nimer-2 |
OM |
-- |
-- |
-- |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
| 7.62mm |
Akrep |
TU |
-- |
-- |
-- |
21 |
21 |
21 |
21 |
21 |
21 |
21 |
| 7.62mm |
Ferret3 |
UK |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
| 7.62mm |
Shorland S52 |
UK |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
| Artillery, Self-Propelled |
- |
13 |
62 |
82 |
82 |
82 |
82 |
82 |
82 |
82 |
| 203mm |
M110A2 |
US / NL |
-- |
13 |
62 |
62 |
62 |
62 |
62 |
62 |
62 |
62 |
| 155mm |
M109A5 |
US |
-- |
-- |
-- |
20 |
20 |
20 |
20 |
20 |
20 |
20 |
| Artillery, Towed |
22 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
| 155mm |
M198 |
US |
14 |
18 |
18 |
18 |
18 |
18 |
18 |
18 |
18 |
18 |
| 105mm |
L118 |
UK |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
| Artillery, Rocket |
- |
9 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
| 227mm |
M270 MLRS (w/ ATACMS) |
US |
-- |
9 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
| Artillery, Anti-Aircraft |
- |
- |
27 |
27 |
27 |
27 |
27 |
27 |
27 |
27 |
| 40mm |
L/70 |
SWE |
-- |
-- |
12 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
| 35mm |
GDF-005 |
SWI |
-- |
-- |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
| Recoilless |
36 |
36 |
36 |
31 |
31 |
31 |
31 |
31 |
31 |
31 |
| 120mm |
MOBAT |
UK |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
| 106mm |
M40A1 |
US |
30 |
30 |
30 |
25 |
25 |
25 |
25 |
25 |
25 |
25 |
| Anti-Tank Missiles |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
75 |
75 |
75 |
75 |
75 |
75 |
| |
FGM-148 Javelin |
US |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
60 |
60 |
60 |
60 |
60 |
60 |
|
BGM-71D / F TOW |
US |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
| Anti-Aircraft Missiles |
28 |
35 |
43 |
43 |
43 |
41 |
41 |
41 |
41 |
41 |
|
MIM-23B I-HAWK |
US |
-- |
-- |
8 |
8 |
8 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
|
Crotale |
FRA |
-- |
7 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
|
FIM-92 Stinger |
US |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
|
RBS-70 |
SWE |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
Notes
1 - This total may include some number of subvariants, including 120mm mortar carriers and the M901 Improved Tow Vehicle.
2 - This total may include some number of subvariants, including ambulance, command post, armored engineer vehicle, armored recovery vehicle, and 81mm mortar carrier.
3 - These vehicles had been placed in storage by 2005 and their status is uncertain.
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