Cancelled Comanche program cost $10 billion

[datan]

A 20-year helicopter program has been cancelled. So what was the $10 billion spent for?

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/02/23/helicopter.cancel.ap/index.html



Army ends 20-year helicopter program
Canceled Comanche program will cost Army at least $10 billion


WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Army has decided to cancel its Comanche helicopter program, a multibillion-dollar project to build a new-generation chopper for armed reconnaissance missions, officials said Monday.

The contractors for Comanche are Boeing Co. and Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.

With about $8 billion already invested in the program, and the production line not yet started, the cancellation is one of the largest in the history of the Army. It follows the Pentagon's decision in 2002 to cancel the Crusader artillery program -- against the wishes of Army leaders.

 

[daidhaid]

a lot of the technology will be used in other aircraft.
The technology is still there it isnt a complete waste of money.

this particular weapon was believed to be not as well suited for the sorts of battles the gov. anticipates.
recent advances in unmanned aircraft capabilities combined with lower costs and less risk to air crews
by bailing out now untold billions were saved.
that money will buy a lot of predators and cruise missiles.
or alternately a good start on single payer healthcare system.

 

[SiteCR2]

R&D research & Development

some things in this program are now being used in other gear, not just army but navy/marine and air force.

the technology just wasn't ready for prime time. cost benefit analysis equalled cancel.
better to pay us more money than waste it on a helo that won't see the light of day.

 

[Megachihuahua]

Now all we have is the Apache, great

 

[daidhaid]

Now all we have is the Apache, great

Heh heh ya gotta laff ok all we have is the apache
heh heh heh heh

 

[Jacey]

Now all we have is the Apache, great

Know much about the military do we?

 

[Peiper]

I am a pure hawk, but the Commache was a terrible "pork-barrel" project in the first place.

Do not believe me? Read about it: http://www.floridatoday.com/!NEWSROOM/opedstory0226WMILWASTE.htm

We should be spending our limited military budget on more important things like basic items for soldiers, bullet-proof armor, and chemical-weapon suits.

Read these stories to see exactly how bad it was(is) for the average soldier going to Iraq.
Basic Items such as Food: http://www.wokr13.tv/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=267FCB53-C88A-4413-B0B3-1012F6771661
Armor: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,101061,00.html
Chem-Suits: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A55369-2002Nov29?language=printer

<sarcasm>
I wonder how many of the above items could be bought for 6.9 billion dollars.
</sarcasm>

 

[datan]

I think one of the articles was referring to National Guardsmen being treated as second-class soldiers in a frontline war.

 

[Peiper]

I think it is relevant when the National Guard and Reserves suffer 10% of the casualties and make-up 20% of the soldiers deployed... soon to be 40% deployed in May!

"When the present rotation of forces is complete, roughly 40 percent of the American soldiers in Iraq will be reserve soldiers or guardsmen."

http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,FL_guard_032304,00.html

 

[datan]

I think it's absurd to ask weekend warriors to take on the roles of frontline troops.

 

[Peiper]

I think it's absurd to ask weekend warriors to take on the roles of frontline troops.

I agree completely! What ever happend to the great George Washington's Foreign Entanglements policy. We have the huckster FDR to thank for the sinking of that great ship.

 

[daidhaid]

I agree completely! What ever happend to the great George Washington's Foreign Entanglements policy. We have the huckster FDR to thank for the sinking of that great ship.

weren't we entangled b/4 FDR

 

[Peiper]

We were fairly isolationist and neutral. We did have our moments of "intervention," but the prevalent public mood was one of non-intervention, isolationism (military and foreign policy-wise, not economic policy), and neutrality.

The difference between pre-FDR policy and post-FDR policy is night and day.

 

[daidhaid]

well there was teddy and the big stick, and a few smaller wars distributed wherever money was being made oh and the minor blip called ww1

I think; that all along it is the will of the people that is thwarted by all forms of globalism.
and all the politicians are cut from the same corporate cloth