WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th April, 2023) The US government has awarded General Dynamics a $27.1 million contract to build M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks for Ukraine, the Defense Department said in a press release.
"General Dynamics Land Systems, Sterling Heights, Michigan, was awarded a $27,100,000 firm-fixed-price contract for M1A1 tanks. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received," the release said on Wednesday.
Fiscal Year 2023 Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative funds in the amount of $27.1 million were obligated at the time of the award, the release said.
US Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity, the release said
Work will be performed in Lima, Ohio, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 29, the release added.
Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder said in March that Washington will provide Ukraine with the M1A1 variant of the Abrams main battle tank instead of the M1A2 variant as was initially planned, in order to expedite delivery of the platform to this fall.
The M1A2 variant would have taken more than a year to deliver, Ryder added.
The Biden administration's decision to provide Abrams tanks to Ukraine represents an "extremely destructive step" that may escalate the conflict in Ukraine, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told Sputnik earlier this year.
