From dsca.mil:

WASHINGTON, Aug 18, 2016 – The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Afghanistan for individual and crew served weapons, equipment, training, and support. The estimated cost is $60 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on August 17, 2016.

The Government of Afghanistan has requested a possible sale of:

Major Defense Equipment (MDE):

Four thousand, eight hundred and ninety-one (4,891) M16A4 5.56mm Rifles

Four hundred and eighty-five (485) M240B 7.62mm Machine Guns

Eight hundred (800) M2 .50 caliber Machine Guns

Non-MDE:

Also included with this request are M249 Light Automatic Machine Guns; M110 7.62mm Sniper Rifles; MK-19 40mm Grenade Launchers; MK-93 40mm Machine Gun Mounts; M3 Tripod Machine Gun Mounts; Spare Barrels; spare and repair parts; lot validation; publications and technical documentation; personnel training and training equipment; Quality Assurance Team; U.S. Government and contractor technical and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics and program support.  The estimated cost is $60 million.

The proposed sale will enhance the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to improve the security of a strategic partner by providing weapons needed to maintain security and stability, as well as to conduct offensive operations against an ongoing insurgency. A stable and secure Afghanistan is vital to regional stability. This proposed sale will also demonstrate the U.S. commitment to Afghanistan’s security.

Afghanistan has an urgent requirement to increase its stocks of crew-served weapons for ongoing counter-insurgency operations and enduring threats to its national sovereignty. These articles were determined to be necessary and are based on Afghanistan’s force structure and operational requirements.

The Afghan National Army (ANA) will use these weapons and equipment in both offensive and defensive operations against insurgents and terrorists within their borders. Without these defense articles, the ANA will not have the military capabilities that are necessary to maintain security and stability. The ANA is thoroughly trained and prepared to use the proposed defense articles. Afghanistan will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces.

While equipment for the ANA is typically purchased with Title 10 Afghanistan Security Forces Fund (ASFF) appropriations and implemented by DSCA through pseudo-FMS cases, Afghanistan will use U.S. government grants to fund and support this proposed purchase.

The principal contractor for the M240B will be FN America, Colombia, SC. The principal contractors for the M16A4, M2, and other weapons have not been identified pending open competition and contract award. Some items may be drawn from Army stocks to meet desired delivery dates. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.

Implementation of this sale will require the assignment of approximately eight (8) additional U.S. Government and approximately six (6) contractor representatives to Afghanistan for approximately 5-6 weeks in support of the fielding, maintenance and personnel training.

There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.

This notice of a potential sale is required by law and does not mean the sale has been concluded.

All questions regarding this proposed Foreign Military Sale should be directed to the State Department’s Bureau of Political Military Affairs, Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, [email protected].

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28 COMMENTS

    • Any guesses as to how long it takes before every one of these weapons to fall into the hands of the Taliban? Or worse yet, are used by Afghans against US troops…

      • the bad guys will have them within a week of landing, probably for $500 bribe. Wonderful, given you and i almost impossible to obtain. Dont seem right

      • Use our troops to guard our borders and the Taliban won’t be attacking them. It is well past time to bring all our troops home from everywhere else in the world.

      • My money would be on 18 months, if HRC wins. Why in the world would Afghanistan want a civil war after we leave? The elite will bail out, ripping their country off as they leave. Those who are left will cut a deal or surrender. Some will hang from light posts.

        Just like under Clinton in the 90s.

      • Tallys got the last batch.

        Not really any difference anyhow. One Islamists, the other mohammandans. Same goal of dominating the west and destroying civilization.

  3. Are the mexican cartels done shopping? Now the ANA.

    When do honest Americans get to shop that same list?

    • I’ll go halves on an M2 with you, and we can split custody of said child 6months/6months, or however other half way terms can be met.

  4. Everything except “Tripod Machine Gun Mounts; Spare Barrels; spare and repair parts; […]; publications and technical documentation” is illegal for us to own.

    Guns for terrorists, none for us.

  5. These will be “lost” by certain parties within the ANA in exchange for cash bribes. Six months later, “found” in the hands of both the Taliban and the Syria/Iraq chapter of Club Aloha Snackbar. The Persians and Saudis will act as shadow brokers for clandestine shipping if need be. This will neither be confirmed nor denied officially, because some dweebs at the CIA thought it’d be really funny to say nothing, let the weapons walk, and see what happens. Did I miss anything?

    • It is not a bribe. The ANA, along with the Pakistan Army and the Indian Army, have a long tradition of selling items from the stores, often ammunition, for “chai money” so they can buy items not supplied by the commissary such as tea and cigarettes.

  6. There are 3 kinds of muslims: one is terrorists, one is those who cheer them on, and one is the taqqiya / public relations muslims who try to convince us that Islam is a religion of peace.

    You also have the peaceful pretenders in the west who have no idea what they are actually supporting. They need to get educated and leave that horrible religion.

    The Afghans will readily hand those guns to ISIS as soon as they get them.

    • Why would they hand the guns over to ISIS when they can sell them to ISIS? And every buck they get is pure profit, since they don’t pay for the guns in the first place.

      Sure, they may have to toss a few bucks to the Clinton Foundation, but that’s just a cost of doing business.

    • The difference between a Muslim extremist and a moderate Muslim is this:

      A Muslim extremist wants to chop off the heads of infidels. A moderate Muslim wants an extremist Muslim to chop off the heads of infidels 🙂

      * The fact that there is a special word for lying for God, or your “din”, should tell you how deep this thing runs.

  8. And where is the auto-destruct button for when the Taliban complete their next, imminent take-over of the country?

  9. These will all sure look nice on the backs of pick ups waving the black flag of the caliphate next year.

  10. 800 each M-2’s is an insane amount of firepower to put in the hands of this “Allied” country.

    Particularly because an M-2 can be emplace on hilltops and rapidly take out rotary wing aircraft (helicopters).

    Our own troops will be running this gauntlet shortly.

  12. Two weeks from now: Breaking News: ISIS has some shiny, new toys. There’s a pretty good record of what happens when we try to be nice and give guns to the Middle East.

    • Exactly what I was going to say. Middle-Easterners shooting at us with weapons we gave them in 3…2…1…

  13. Routine stuff. There are countless FMS / FMF cases open at any time worldwide. Some come to nothing, or deliver a fraction of the defense articles approved for sale.

  14. Oh, great, you’re going to sell 6 – 8,000 brand new machine guns to a faltering Middle Eastern government that will crumble as soon as the US military leaves. What could possibly go wrong?

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