The US State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to the Republic of Bulgaria of Stryker Vehicles and related equipment for an estimated cost of $1.5 billion.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) stated that Bulgaria has requested to buy 183 Stryker Family of Vehicles which would consist of 90 XM1296 Infantry Carrier Vehicles – Dragoon (ICVD); 17 M1126 Infantry Carrier Vehicles (ICV); 9 M1132 Engineer Squad Vehicles (ESV); 33 M1130 Command Vehicles (CV); 24 M1133 Medical Evacuation Vehicles (MEV); 10 M1135 Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Reconnaissance Vehicles (NBCRV); 5 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) Light Equipment Transports (LET); 5 Modular Catastrophic Recovery Systems (MCRS); 2 M1120A4 HEMTT Load Handling Systems; 5 M984A4 Wrecker HEMTTs; and one hundred seven (107) M240 Coaxial 7.62mm machine guns.
Also included is support service equipment; M-153A4 Common Remote Operated Weapons Stations (CROWS); Forward Repair Systems (FRS); M2A1 .50 calibre machine guns; M6 smoke grenade launchers and associated spares; Harris radios; AN/VAS-5 Driver’s Vision Enhancer (DVE); DVE-Wide; communications equipment; RS6 (LW30) Remote Weapon Systems; TACFLIR 280 HDEP systems; Ranger R20SS Radar; ROVER6Si transceivers; spare parts; Basic Issue Items (BII), Components of End Items (COEI), Additional Authorized List (AAL); Special Tools and Test Equipment (STTE); technical manuals; OCONUS Deprocessing Service; OCONUS contractor provided training and Field Service Representatives (FSR); component assembly in-country; and other related elements of logistics and program support.
The intended sale aims to aid the foreign policy and national security goals of the United States by enhancing the security of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally.
DSCA stated that the sale of the Stryker vehicles will improve Bulgaria’s rapid infantry deployment and force projection capability. Bulgaria will use this enhanced capability to strengthen its homeland defence and deter regional threats. Bulgaria will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment and services into its armed forces.
The principal contractor will be General Dynamics Land Systems, Anniston, AL. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.
