Congress Again Buys Abrams Tanks the Army Doesn't Want

[AZMotherLover]

The new defense spending bill includes $120 million for tanks that the Army has repeatedly said it doesn't want.

For three years, the Army in numerous Congressional hearings has pushed a plan that essentially would have suspended tank building and upgrades in the U.S. for the first time since World War II. The Army suggested that production lines could be kept open through foreign sales.

Each time, Congress has pushed back. Last week, Congress won again in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2015.

More at Military.com

 

[FGB]

It's difficult to sell or give surplus tanks to countries if you don't have them.

And it keeps the backers and voters who have jobs affected by it happy. Not to mention siphoning off money for black bag projects and the list is endless!

 

[Que]

Tanks in the modern era are as useful as mounted cavalry was when tanks were invented.

No one is going to fight a war with slow, heavy tanks. We have precision guided bombs, missiles, helicopters and A-10s. We don't even really need the A-10s now that we don't need to kill columns of tanks since no one will be fighting with them.

 

[Sean Renaud]

How useful a tank is in combat these days is debatable. I'm inclined to agree with Query here but you have to still have to put boots on the ground unless you're just planning on bombing someone literally into the stone age and I'd definitely want something that I can be around that's sniper and stupid person resistant.

That being said there are lots of programs we could cut the question here is whether or not you buy Congress's story which is that if you close down the factories while they turn over to the new tank model you'll lose the skilled labor of the region and have to start over from step fuck mothering one again and that simply won't be any fun for anybody.

If you're me and you don't buy it it's just one more thing we could cut and find a better way to spend. If you do then you do.

 

[badbabysitter]

but you would have just wasted that 120 million on healthcare or education for your citizens.... really dodged a bullet there

 

[Que]

but you would have just wasted that 120 million on healthcare or education for your citizens.... really dodged a bullet there

I find myself in rare agreement with BBS. If the Army doesn;t want them I would much rather see that 120 million buying for example 120,000 individual healtcare plans for the poor.

120,000 first and last month rent checks for some get the homeless into housing programs.

Or 12 million text books. Preferably history ones.

 

[Sean Renaud]

I find myself in rare agreement with BBS. If the Army doesn;t want them I would much rather see that 120 million buying for example 120,000 individual healtcare plans for the poor.

120,000 first and last month rent checks for some get the homeless into housing programs.

Or 12 million text books. Preferably history ones.

That's what I would prefer. The problem is the politics of it. Convincing Republicans that our young and poor are a worthy investment is much harder than convincing them to literally burn money for the military.

 

[unregistered]

 

[AZMotherLover]

but you would have just wasted that 120 million on healthcare or education for your citizens.... really dodged a bullet there

We could always use the money to provide much needed tax relief for the "job creators".

/sarcasm

 

[FGB]

Ha! the A10 is in service as we speak. (We got the Kurds back)

And you might well find unmanned tanks in the future.

 

[phrodeau]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQwKV7lCzEI

 

[Que]

Ha! the A10 is in service as we speak. (We got the Kurds back)

And you might well find unmanned tanks in the future.

We definitely still fly the warthog. It is what made Soviet-made tanks obsolete. I see them all the time in flights of four out of Davis-Monthan.

The new Republican Congressional Representative from Tucson was the first woman to fly a combat mission, and it was in an A-10 as flight-leader.

 

[sub_amy]

Way too much military anyhow

Arguably with giant oceans either side and weak friendly countries to the north and south we don't need much of a military at all.

 

[Worm]

As a taxpayer I demand the A-10 stay in service forever just because it looks cool.

 

[PoppingTom]

And I want the Lockheed SR-71 back !