We Are The Merchant of Death: U.S. to Sell $500 Million of Attack Helicopters to Indonesia

[cali]

The U.S. agreed to sell a fleet of Apache attack helicopters to the Indonesian Army in a deal valued at as much as $500 million.

“One of the fastest growing areas of cooperation between the United States and Indonesia is defense trade, and I am pleased that the United States for the first time has agreed to sell Indonesia new AH-64E Apache attack helicopters,” Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in a prepared statement from Jakarta where he met his counterpart Purnomo Yusgiantoro.

“Providing Indonesia these world-class helicopters is an example of our commitment to help build Indonesia’s military capability.”

The Apache helicopters fitted with Longbow radar are made by Chicago-based Boeing Co. Various models of the Apache helicopters are flown by the U.S. Army as well as the armed forces of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Singapore, Japan, Kuwait, The Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates and the U.K., according to Boeing.

In 2005 the U.S. lifted restrictions on arms sales and military cooperation with Indonesia that had been in place since 1991 because of the country’s poor human rights record. In 2010 the two countries signed a defense cooperation agreement.

<snip>

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-08-26/u-dot-s-dot-to-sell-500-million-of-attack-helicopters-to-indonesia

We're a sick, sick, sick nation.

[qazplm]

1. huh?

half the world sells arms to the other half but if we do it we are "sick, sick, sick?"

[cali]

4. the U.S. is by FAR the largest arms dealer in the world

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/opinion/editorials/weapons-king-the-us-is-again-the-worlds-top-arms-merchant-650808/

http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2012/01/28/us-military-sales-to-foreign-nations.html?page=all

And it's a booming business. Many of our clients are developing countries.

Yes, it's sick shit. duh.

[Recursion]

7. We're the Saudi Arabia of weapons systems

As well as soybeans, helium, and corn.

On the plus side, we'll be the Saudi Arabia of oil again in just a few years.

[Arctic Dave]

9. LOL.

The US will never come close to being the SA of oil.

There is not one single field that comes close the massive producing oil fields of SA.

You think SA is threatened by or fracking "boom"?

[Recursion]

10. We're set to pass Saudi Arabia in about 2 years, and Russia in 5

Check the annual production numbers.

http://www.newstatesman.com/economics/2012/11/iea-usa-become-worlds-biggest-oil-producer

[Arctic Dave]

11. Production estimates don't mean jack.

SA has been producing these for DECADES.

Fracking is the desperate attempt to avoid the inevitable. We have zero major finds anywhere in the US that is going to sustain production numbers. Our oil production is strictly a hand to mouth operation (In my opinion, it is a jobs program for the US) using incredibly labor intensive methods.

Even if we found another Prudhoe Bay, we will never produce with the ease of SA.

[happyslug]

13. We MAY pass Saudi Arabia is two years, but return to 2002 levels by 2020

These deep wells are very small. You get high production for a short time period (about 18 months), then a rapid drop off in production. Russia is admitting its oil production is in decline, but the US will NOT catch up to Russia within the next 20 years (if ever).

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-davis/domestic-oil_b_2898256.html

http://www.sbc.slb.com/Our_Ideas/Energy_Perspectives/1st%20Semester13_Content/1st%20Semester%202013_Global.aspx

The Energy Infomairon Agency (EIA) well acknowledging that Tight Oil has problems, brags about energy independence by 2017 (and ignores the years after that date):

http://www.iea.org/newsroomandevents/ieajournal/iea-journal-issue-3/name,34049,en.html


While oil production has rapidly climbed in the last few years, the longevity of the tight oil boom is unknown. Production rates from tight oil wells tend to peak early then drop of precipitously. For example, a typical well could experience a 40%-50% decline in productivity at the end of its first year, and a further 30%-40% decline in year two.

Tis means that a vast number of new wells must be brought online just to maintain steady production, which is why there is such a high presence of drilling rigs in the U.S. It is unclear at this early stage i the industry can keep up such a frenetic drilling pace in order to meet the heady projections or oil production in the years ahead.In addition, high U.S. oil production is at the mercy o the price o oil.Unconventional oil wells are not cheap, with a break-even point around $85 per barrel or marginal wells.

With the best wells drilled first, the industry will need to move on to less desirable areas. If the global economy sputters or oil production elsewhere climbs higher than anticipated – both of which would send oil prices downwards – high cost producers would be forced out of the market. Sustained low oil prices would choke of the tight oil boom

http://americansecurityproject.org/featured-items/2013/perspective-the-u-s-tight-oil-boom-geopolitical-winner-or-long-term-distraction/

Sorry, Shale oil (Tight oil is the better name for it) appears to be a bubble more then a real increase in oil supplies, a bubble that is set to burst in 2017 or 2018 as production of tight oil hits its peak and then goes into rapid decline.

[lamp_shade]

2. And your issue with this is.... ???

[cali]

5. and you don't have an issue with the U.S. flooding the world with

arms, because?

[msongs]

3. everyone knows indonesia is under immediate threat of massive invasion by foreigners...or its

starving poor peasants. apaches are much better at slaughtering people than poor obama's pathetic little killer drones

[AnotherMcIntosh]

6. "We"? Where's my cut?

[One_Life_To_Give]

8. Arsenal of Democracy or Merchant of Death

It's all about the Spin. Like freedom fighters or terrorists. All depends upon ones point of view. Perhaps the real question is who's tanks does Indonesia feel they might have to bust?

[n2doc]

12. And in this way, Indonesia is our 'friend'

And we will look the other way when these helicopters are used to suppress the opposition there (aka 'terrorists'). Protection money. At some point the MIC is going to do away with actually delivering the hardware and just sell protection directly.