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The costs of next generation military equipment is astronomical. For example, the F22 was cancelled as it's costs came to exceed $300 million per aircraft, with $60,000 per hour operational costs. All the equipment is like that. There are now aircraft that all in all including aboard approach or exceed a billion dollars each.
Every price a missile?
Drone?
The military contractors absolutely rip the taxpayers. If a bolt is needed, the military has to buy an entire overhaul kit for that system. If a computer needs to a piece of software re-loaded or modified, the contracting company refuses, claiming it is copyrighted/patented - requiring rebuying the software.
In addition, equipment costs, operational costs and maintenance costs, are the costs of maintaining full time maintainers and specialists to keep it operational and up to date.
Price a new ship - even little ones? The cost of operation and maintenance?
Our personnel costs aren't cheap either. One tour of duty and we pay in many ways for that person - and even possibly their family - for the rest of their lives - averaging over half a century - adding about 200,000 more to the list each year.
By comparison, other countries pay less and many pay much less.
And we want to be able to police the entire world, make certain all borders never ever change again, to be able to have bases all over the world, to be able to stop China expanding, Russia expanding, Iran expanding, Muslim militancy from expanding in Africa, and win war against anyone and everyone anywhere and everywhere - being in an arms race with China and Russia - mostly China. A lot - China. Do we have 1/10th the industrial capacity of China? Can we win the arms race with China on an economic level?
Just how much will and can we pay to do all that - endlessly and increasingly?
What are your thoughts on this?
Every price a missile?
Drone?
The military contractors absolutely rip the taxpayers. If a bolt is needed, the military has to buy an entire overhaul kit for that system. If a computer needs to a piece of software re-loaded or modified, the contracting company refuses, claiming it is copyrighted/patented - requiring rebuying the software.
In addition, equipment costs, operational costs and maintenance costs, are the costs of maintaining full time maintainers and specialists to keep it operational and up to date.
Price a new ship - even little ones? The cost of operation and maintenance?
Our personnel costs aren't cheap either. One tour of duty and we pay in many ways for that person - and even possibly their family - for the rest of their lives - averaging over half a century - adding about 200,000 more to the list each year.
By comparison, other countries pay less and many pay much less.
And we want to be able to police the entire world, make certain all borders never ever change again, to be able to have bases all over the world, to be able to stop China expanding, Russia expanding, Iran expanding, Muslim militancy from expanding in Africa, and win war against anyone and everyone anywhere and everywhere - being in an arms race with China and Russia - mostly China. A lot - China. Do we have 1/10th the industrial capacity of China? Can we win the arms race with China on an economic level?
Just how much will and can we pay to do all that - endlessly and increasingly?
What are your thoughts on this?