Reply #22: Some possibles cuts [View All]

[ddoumeche]

There are plenty of useless programs in the current US Army, like :

- the modernizing of thousand of M1 Abrahms. But against who ? The first version is enougth do achieve victory even against most modern Russian tanks.
- the NMD is a failure, unable to detect a missile launch except with hundreds of satelites, far too much for current launchers capabilities. And the exoguards are unable to intercept . It's useless except against a small rogue state who won't attack the USA by fear of retaliation anyway (just like other nuclear powers). And terrorist groups won't bother with a rocket but smuggle a bomb on the US soil by car or boat.
- the US Navy want to extend its fleet of SSNG (Submarines new generations) to 68, each costing 2bn$ (!). But what for ? Been able to maintain an economic embargo against Ireland, Japan or UK (too late, they have a tunnel) ? None of their mission can't be accomplished by a fleet, even foe submarines tracking. They better had to reduce the number of submarines, not increasing it.
- the US own 7800 actives nuclear warheads, enought to destroy earth 10 times. They are expensives to maintain as their vectors (bombers, ICBMS, SSBM) and could be reduced to 800, enought to discourage any opponents in the world. After all, there is no defense against them as the NMD proved it. And the technology needed to build more still exist, it's stupid to waste good uranium for this.
- what is the interest of using expensives JDAM when they probably have killed more civilans in Iraq than during Gulf war ?
- each year, the pentagon lose track of 10% of its budget (the actual datas are 2 trillions $ lost). Enought to compensate 4 years of deficit, or Bush mandate's length.
- what is the point to develop expensive "stealth" planes and choppers when you already control the sky by the number ? Reduce your aviation to 10 planes, shared by the USMC, the US Navy and the USAF and too expensives to be engaged in a battle ? Isn't the B2 case instructive (20 bombers build for 2.2 billions each).

Just reducing this should save billions, easily 15% of budget. As Rumself said the 10th september 2001, the USA has to confront a huge foe, who can kill him : the pentagon bureaucracy.