The United States, is to sell $4.6 billion of arms to moderate Arab states, including battle tanks worth as much as $2.9 billion to protect critical Saudi infrastructure. The package includes the following.* United Arab Emirates - UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter gunships worth up to $808 million
* Saudi Arabia - AH-64 Apache helicopters worth up to $400 million
* Bahrain - Black Hawk helicopters, valued at up to $252 million
* Jordan - a potential $156 million in upgrades to 1,000 of its M113A1 armored personnel carriers
* Oman - Javelin anti-tank missiles valued at up to $48 million The $2.9 billion Saudi deal involves the sale of 58 older-generation US M1A1 Abrams tanks that would be modernized. In addition 315 Saudi-owned, newer-model, Abrams tanks would be improved with such things as air-conditioning and infrared sights for the commanders as well as the gunners.
The project's prime contractor would be General Dynamics Corp.'s Land Systems business unit of Sterling Heights, Michigan, the Pentagon said in a notice to Congress required by law.
General Dynamics received a subpoena in early 2004 on charges of having falsely stated that submarine parts sold to the US Navy were tested properly. The company has also been subpoenaed in an investigation by the Department of Defense’s inspector general over whether it had produced shoddy parts for military use.
