Ammo shortage is worldwide?

[Steve M]

Actually it's the Taliban!....... They send one guy in on a ridge 1200 yards away from a Marine base camp. He squeezes off a couple of shots and splits. Then the whole camp opens up for 45 minutes Blastin everything that doesnt move! Go to youtube check it out.

[Former Cav]

I have the Time/Life series of books on the "Vietnam Police action" that my mother in law bought for me.
In it, it states that back in 1969 already, the US Army needed more turrets for M60 tanks and they had to OUTSOURCE this work to "West Germany" (some of you young guys might not know but there was an East and West Germany) way back then already as we no longer had the "industrial capacity" to produce these items.
We have been becoming a 3rd world country for quite a long time with our "free trade agreements" and etc.
Bob

[dryheat]

Dan Wilsons right. After the wall came down the US gov. decided there wouldn't be a need for all those cartridge manufacturers. Some dozen or so went oout of business. Only L.C. survived and I read a military publication that was concerned that they were still using equipment from the forties. Some of the ammo used by our troops now comes from European countries. Which brings me to my favorite rant; the fact that we don't make anything here except "money", funny money at that.

[Bob Womack]

You fellows do know about the U.S. armed services jet engine overhaul program, right? Under Mr. Clinton, it was decided to eliminate the major-service shops for each of the armed services and out-source the overhauls of all military jet engines. As of my last inquiry, all that was left were depots where engines were assessed, tagged, and shipped to the outside source for overhauls... in Canada.

Bob

[John Sukey (Deceased)]

Just a comment on the Peace dividend.

Has anyone noticed that "peace" is an unnatural condition? Look at world history. There has ALWAYS been a war going on somewhere in the world.

[Mk VII]

We can't have ammunition plants standing idle, year after year, fully staffed and ready to go but doing nothing. The whole point of offshore contracts - frequently let during the Cold War - was insurance against a sudden need for additional sources one day in the future.

[Louis of PA]

We can't have ammunition plants standing idle, year after year, fully staffed and ready to go but doing nothing. The whole point of offshore contracts - frequently let during the Cold War - was insurance against a sudden need for additional sources one day in the future.

When Boeing builds an airplane it outsources many components to countries around the world. Why? Because they hope those countries will continue to purchase their planes. Boeing, along with Hollywood, is one of the largest contributors to balance of trade dollars for the U.S.

Certain defence companies also outsource within the U.S. Why? Because congress people want a piece of the action for their district. Doesn't matter whether it's an efficient way to build a product or not.

We also outsource defense projects overseas for another reason: when we provide jobs to other countries, it makes them more dependent on us, more likely not to kick our troops out of their country.

As always, follow the money.

[DaveHH]

They tell him that it is unlikely that the new Dreamliner will ever fly. The concept was stupid and far too complex to pull off. Group hugs for the idiot that came up with this idea. We are not building an ME 109 here.

[Dan Wilson]

Well its one thing to put the facility's in mothballs against future need but its another thing entirely to sell all the facility's and equipment off to the country that kisses the klintoons butt the most.

I mean what kind of money would have been spent to keep the facility's and equipment idle in mothballs? NOTHING as it was all owned by the gubbermint to begin with.

But like everything else, the clintons were all about kickbacks, bribes and corruption. I dont see it getting any better with the hildabeast as the secretary of state accepting all those "convienent dontations" to the klintoon foundation.

Dan

[jim303]

You fellows do know about the U.S. armed services jet engine overhaul program, right? Under Mr. Clinton, it was decided to eliminate the major-service shops for each of the armed services and out-source the overhauls of all military jet engines. As of my last inquiry, all that was left were depots where engines were assessed, tagged, and shipped to the outside source for overhauls... in Canada.

Bob

At least they are a short drive north! It's something totally different when the producer/re-fitters are a possibly hostile ocean length away! Or even worse a country locked around several unfriendly ones! Free trade should of been just between us and the Canadians. At least we have similar values and lifestyles. Not to mention we buy a lot of their stuff, where do you think the Stryker vehicle comes from? It's a Canadian Army LAV3 without the 25mm turret and weapons sytem.