US approves $2.2 billion sale of battle tanks to Bahrain

AFP | Washington

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The United States on Tuesday approved a $2.2 billion sale of advanced battle tanks to Bahrain.

The State Department said it had notified Congress that it was ready to sell 50 M1A2 Abrams tanks, generally used for ground warfare, to the island nation, which has tense relations with nearby Iran.

"The proposed sale will improve Bahrain's capability to meet current and future threats by providing a credible force that can deter adversaries and provide the capability to participate in regional operations with the United States and other US partner nations," a State Department statement said.

Congress can still block the sale, although most military deals go through.

Bahrain is home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet and is classified as a major non-NATO ally, giving it privileged defence cooperation with the United States.

Unique among Arab nations, Bahrain has signed on as a member of the coalition led by the United States and Britain that has struck Yemen's Iran-allied Huthi rebels over attacks on shipping carried out in professed solidarity with the Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Abrams tanks, among the heaviest in the world, are a mainstay of the US military.

President Joe Biden last year approved sending Abrams tanks to Ukraine to fight back Russian invaders after initial concerns about the time needed to manufacture and train Ukrainian forces in the vehicles.

The State Department said that some 30 US contractors and one government official would be sent to Bahrain for up to five years to lead training.

Last year, Biden's administration signed a new agreement with Bahrain to enhance defence and economic ties, including through greater intelligence sharing.