Persian Gulf & Middle East Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

Qatar takes delivery of Leopard 2A7+ MBTs

Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) has delivered almost half of the 62 Leopard 2A7+ series main battle tanks (MBTs) on contract to Qatar. The deal is the company's first major export contract for heavy armour in the Middle East.

In addition it covers the supply of 24 PzH 2000 155 mm/52-calibre self-propelled artillery systems, 32 Fennek 4x4 reconnaissance vehicles and a batch of Dingo Heavy Duty 4x4 protected vehicles in three different versions.

The contract also includes six FFG Wisent 2 support vehicles and almost 100 Mercedes-Benz Actros 4058 6x6 tank transporters and a training and support package.

Rheinmetall Waffe Munition in Germany is supplying its 120 mm tank ammunition including latest DM11 programmable high-explosive, while Rheinmetall Denel Munition in South Africa is providing a 155 mm ammunition suite including projectiles, modular charge systems and fuzes.

The Leopard 2A7+ platform acquired by Qatar is the most advanced Leopard 2 manufactured by KMW and is optimised for operation in the high temperatures encountered in the Middle East.
In addition to the bustle-mounted air conditioning system the vehicle is also fitted with the latest armour package, roof-mounted FLW200 remote weapon station (RWS) armed with a stabilised .50 M2 HB machine gun, additional external turret stowage and a 17 kW auxiliary power unit mounted internally at the rear of the hull on the right side.

The final drives have been modified to provide more torque when operating in a desert environment, although this has reduced the top speed from 72 km/h to 68 km/h.

The baseline hull and turret structures for the Leopard 2A7+ are manufactured in Greece with the turret being sent to the KMW facility In Kassel where it is completed with all electric gun control equipment, computerised fire-control system, commanders and gunners stabilised sighting systems and armament.

The complete turret is then sent to the main KMW production and integration facility in Munich where it is mated with the hull.

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Click to expand...

Jura said:

Sep 8, 2016

now Corker: Gulf Fighter Sales Will Follow Israeli Aid Deal

source:

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Click to expand...

The State Department approved two potential high-profile fighter jet sales of up to 40 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets to Kuwait and 72 F-15QA planes to Qatar.

The sale would be a major coup for Boeing, which manufactures both planes and has banked on foreign sales to extend the life of its fighter jet lines into the 2020s.

The Kuwaiti deal is worth approximately $10.1 billion for 32 E-model Super Hornets, 8 F-models, their associated F414-GE-400 engines and spares, 41 AN/APG active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars and a slew of weapon systems, including 20mm guns, 240 guided missile launchers, 45 AN/ALR-67(V)3 radar warning receivers, 12 AN/AAQ-33 SNIPER advanced targeting pods, 48 Link-16 systems, eight conformal fuel tanks among others. The sale also includes associated support and logistics services.

The agreement with Qatar would bring in approximately $21.1 billion for the aircraft and their associated weapons systems, US-based training, maintenance support equipment, and logistics support, among other items. The country is considering splitting the 72-jet purchase between Boeing’s F-15 and the Eurofighter Typhoon.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency informed Congress of both potential sales on Nov. 17, according to State Department news releases. The executive branch must notify Congress 30 days ahead of proceeding with a foreign military sale. Should Congress disapprove of the potential purchase, it would have to pass legislation blocking or modifying the FMS case. However, because informal notification of Congress has already occurred, it is unlikely that lawmakers would pose a barrier for the deal moving forward.

“A formal notification to Congress is great news for Boeing and great news for the F/A-18 and F-15 lines,” said Boeing spokeswoman Caroline Hutcheson.

Presumptive purchases of the Super Hornet and E/A-18G Growler by the US Navy in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 and the FMS sale to Kuwait would extend production into the 2020s, allowing the company to keep the line open for future sales, Boeing officials have said.

The Qatar deal also would keep the F-15 production line open into the next decade. The F-15 line was slated to end in early 2019.

Both the Super Hornet and F-15 would be new acquisitions for Kuwait and Qatar, respectively. Kuwait currently operates the F/A-18 Hornet, while Qatar operates Mirage 2000 and Alpha Jets from France.

A potential sale of F-16s to Bahrain remains in limbo.

Click to expand...

The Cabinet-approved purchase marks the third tranche of US-built stealth fighters by Lockheed Martin Corp. Congress and the US Administration have pre-approved Israel for the purchase of 75 single-engine stealth fighters.

Israel initially ordered 19 aircraft in 2010 under a $2.7 billion package, the first two of which are scheduled to arrive here in the coming weeks. That initial package was followed by a $2.82 billion follow-on order in February 2015 for another 14 planes.

The third order approved Sunday evening will bring Israel’s acquisition commitment to 50 aircraft.

Click to expand...

FORBIN said:

Egypt, Rafale !
View attachment 34505

Click to expand...

mwanamwale said:

Egypt is in Africa

Click to expand...