General Dynamics Land Systems, a leading manufacturer of armoured weapon systems, said it has been awarded a $99.7 million follow-on contract for the procurement and production of Saudi M1A2 (M1A2S) Abrams tanks for the kingdom.

This modification is part of an existing contract to upgrade the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's fleet of tanks, said a statement from General Dynamics (GD).

The Foreign Military Sales contract was awarded by the US Army Tacom Life Cycle Management Command on behalf of the Royal Saudi Land Forces.

The contract extends work started in 2008 to update M1A1 and M1A2 tanks to the M1A2S configuration. The M1A2S conversion increases the efficiency and capability of the tank, the statement added.

According to GD, the work will be performed by current employees at the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center in Lima, Ohio, with an estimated completion date of July 2016. -TradeArabia News Service