Effort to Save Abrams Tank Production Advances

Press Release

Passes House, Action in Senate awaits

Advocates for maintaining Abrams tank production, a cornerstone of Michigan's defense industrial base for 30 years, have scored a victory with passage in the House of Representatives of a defense funding bill containing an additional $272 million to keep the tank production line open.

Earlier this year, after three decades of building, upgrading and improving the Abrams main battle tank, the Pentagon proposed to halt tank upgrades in 2013 and then restart tank production in 2017. Critics of the proposal point out that the cost of shutting down and mothballing tank production could ultimately cost taxpayers $200 million more than just maintaining tank upgrades at a rate of 70 tanks per year.

Tank advocates in Congress, including Rep. Sander Levin (D-MI) and Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL), urged the House Appropriations Committee to include additional funding to keep tank production going, spearheading a letter in May that was signed by 135 other members and cautioned Army Secretary John McHugh about halting production. The House bill that passed Friday includes an additional $272 million for tank production, bringing total funding for the Abrams program to $453 million, which is enough to continue building 70 tanks in 2013. The House approved the Defense bill on a vote of 336 to 87. The defense measure must now be approved by the U.S. Senate.

"This is an important victory in the battle to continue tank production. Now the Senate needs to step up and approve the tank funding," said Rep. Levin. "The tank upgrade program is critical to ensuring our troops are protected on the battlefield. It is also critical to Michigan's defense industrial base."

The Abrams tank program is run by General Dynamics Land Systems based in Sterling Heights and more than 200 Michigan businesses provide parts and engineering services to upgrade older M1 tanks to the more advanced M1A2 SEP version of the vehicle.

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