Highlights:
US Army Contracting Command (USACC) awarded to Lockheed Martin a contract to supply AGM-114K/R3 Hellfire II missiles to Egypt, Tunisia, Iraq, Pakistan and Indonesia expected to be complete by September 2017.
Egypt and America have thawed their relations after the arms-ban on Egypt was lifted earlier this year.
Summary:
Egypt and Tunisia are among countries that the United State will sell to the sophisticated AGM-114K/R3 Hellfire II missiles in a the September 2015 supply contact awarded to Lockheed Martin.
The delivery of te missiles according to the contract will cost $357.8 million to supply the missiles not only to Egypt and Tunisia but also Iraq, Pakistan and Indonesia due for completion in September 2017.
Egypt had earlier in the year held talks with the US for the supply of the AGM-114K/R3 Hellfire II Air-to-Ground missiles with containers, spares and repair parts, support equipment as well as personnel and training equipment at an estimated price of $57 million.
The AGM-114K/R3 Hellfire II missile is a precision-strike, multipurpose, high-explosive, either anti-tanker semi-active laser homing guided systemic missile. It is an Air-to-ground missile with more than 8700 yards range designed specifically for use against bunkers, caves, light vehicles and urban targets.
In the recent months, Egypt has made bold and advanced military equipment aimed at fighting terrorist elements both domestically and regional. Egypt’s involvement in the extensive counter-terrorism fight both in the Maghreb region, Sinai Peninsula and the Middle East can be viewed as the motivation towards the advanced weaponry purchases.
Egypt in the past months has invested heavily in advancing her artillery with the delivery of F-16 squadron delivery from Russia and French-made Dassault Rafale and MiG-29 fighters as well as well as the Mistral Aircraft Carrier warships.
