Egypt requests sale of 168 RIM‑116C Rolling Airframe Missiles from US

The Egyptian Government has requested to procure 168 Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM) Block 2 Tactical Missiles and related equipment for an estimated cost of $197 million from the United States.

The Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM) Block 2 Tactical Missiles will be used on Egypt’s naval fast missile craft (FAC).

Also included in the request are RAM Guided Missile Round Pack Tri-Pack shipping and storage containers; operator manuals and technical documentation; technical and logistics support services.

This is according a 15 February press release by the US State Department, which explains that it had made a determination approving the possible Foreign Military Sale, and that the Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) had delivered the required certification notifying Congress.

This proposed sale will help to improve the security of a Major Non-NATO Ally country that continues to be an important strategic partner in the Middle East.

“The proposed sale will support the Egyptian Navy’s Fast Missile Craft ships and provide significantly enhanced area defense capabilities over Egypt’s coastal areas and approaches to the Suez Canal. Egypt will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces since Egypt already operates previously procured RAM Block 1A missiles.” The press release said.

The principal contractor will be Raytheon Missiles & Defense (RMD), Tucson, AZ.

The RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) is a small, lightweight, infrared homing surface-to-air missile used primarily as a point-defense weapon against anti-ship cruise missiles.

It is currently in use by the German, Japanese, Greek, Turkish, South Korean, Saudi Arabian, Egyptian, Mexican and U.S. Navies. The missile was developed as a cooperative programme between the US and German governments.

Egypt Navy Ambassador IV-Class patrol craft

The RIM-116C Rolling Airframe Missiles will be arm Egypt’s fast missile craft. The Egyptian Navy’s fast missile craft (FMC), also called the Ambassador IV-Class patrol craft, is a missile boat developed by VT Halter Marine, a subsidiary of ST Engineering.

The vessels are used to defend armed surface and shipping threats in the coastal waterways of the Mediterranean Sea, Suez Canal and Red Sea.

Construction of the first FMC began in December 2009, it was launched in October 2011.

Meanwhile, last month the United States approved the sale of a Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) System for Head-of-State Aircraft and related equipment for an estimated cost of $104 million to Egypt, and twenty Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods (ATPs) and related equipment for an estimated cost of $65.6 million.

The AN/AAQ-24(V)N Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) system will be used to protect one Airbus 340-200 Head-of-State aircraft.

The AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods (ATPs) will be retrofitted on Egypt’s F-16s and Rafale combat aircrafts.