Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) today applauded the State Department’s approval of a potential foreign military sale of Abrams tanks and armored recovery vehicles to Saudi Arabia, saying the agreement should benefit Lima’s Joint Systems Manufacturing Center (JSMC):

“This is good news for JSMC because these foreign sales are a key piece to keeping the Abrams line ready for the U.S. Army’s future needs.  I applaud the State Department’s approval of this sale and it’s important now for the contracting process to begin in order to support our close ally in the Middle East and to ensure the additional work at JSMC can begin.  I will continue to engage with our allies to find new partners and continue existing partnerships to utilize this one-of-a-kind facility in Lima.”

NOTE: The Pentagon yesterday announced that the U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of more than 130 Abrams battle tanks, 20 armored recovery vehicles and other equipment to Saudi Arabia.  Portman has continuously advocated on behalf of the workforce and capabilities of Lima’s Joint Systems Manufacturing Center (JSMC), including sending a letter in 2014 to the Saudi ambassador to the United States to highlight its great work.

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