New contract to benefit Depot

Defense contractor General Dynamics Land Systems, has announced they have received a  $358 million contract to upgrade and refurbish 150 M1A1 Abrams tanks with the work shared between workers at the Anniston Army depot and the Lima Army Tank Plant in Lima, Ohio. The contract means steady work for the Anniston depot, which has seen budget cuts and layoffs in recent years.

The newly contracted tanks are set to be sold to the Kingdom of Morocco. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in January 2017, with the project expected to be finished in February 2018. The work will be performed by existing employees at the depot and the Lima facility.

Under the program, the tanks will be upgraded to the M1A1 SA configuration, meaning they'll be completely disassembled and overhauled until they are in a like-new condition. The tanks will also receive armor upgrades and new technology to improve crew situational awareness.