The State Department approved two Foreign Military Sales (FMSs) to Egypt worth a combined $2.5 billion on Jan. 25 for 12 C-130J Super Hercules aircrafts and three SPS-48 Land Based Radars.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress of the sales on Tuesday.
The aircraft purchase request consists of 12 C-130J aircraft with four each Rolls-Royce AE-2100D Turboprop engines installed, 12 spare engines, 30 Embedded GPS/INS (EGI) with GPS Security Devices (including six spares); seven Multifunctional Information Distribution System – Low Volume Terminal Block Upgrade Two (MIDS-LVT BU2) (including three spares); AN/APX-119 Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) Transponders; AN/AAR-47 Missile Warning Systems (MWS); AN/ALE-47 Countermeasures Dispensing System (CMDS); AN/ALR-56M Radar Warning Receiver (RWR); AN/AAQ-22 (STAR SAFIRE 380); and various technical and logistics equipment and services.
The Super Hercules FMS has an estimated cost of $2.2 billion. The primary contractor is aircraft builder Lockheed Martin [LMT].
DSCA said Egypt would use the aircraft will improve the country’s ability to provide airlift support of its forces by moving supplies, equipment and people.
“This airlift capability would assist with border security, the interdiction of known terrorist elements, rapid reaction to internal security threats, and humanitarian aid. Egypt also intends to utilize these aircraft for maritime patrol missions and search and rescue missions in the region,” the agency said in a statement.
DSCA noted Egypt already operates a mix of legacy C-130s.
The second FMS consists of a $355 million order for three SPS-48 Land Based Radar (LBR), spares, motor generators, repeaters, and assorted logistics and program support equipment and services.
The prime contractor for that sale is L3Harris Technologies [LHX].
DSCA said Egypt would use the radar systems to improve its “detection of various air threats” and that the country will have no difficulty absorbing the equipment since it already operates “previously procured SPS-48 Land Based Radars.”