Hummm Lets see first there was the "Jeep" which begat the "Hummer" which begat the "MRAP" which begat the "??"
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it a couple weeks or months ago we were ready to lynch the Mfg's of these monsters because they didn't get them in country fast enough??
$25 BILLION?? over what period of time.. I mean isn't it about time to get a f***** grip on reality, if anything about the MidEast can be said to be Real...
East is East and West is West and NEVER the twain shall meet.. Kipling figured that one out all by himself long long without paying $800,000.00 for a flippin JEEP
This message has been edited. Last edited by: RiverRat139,
Everybody was screaming we need these to stop the loss of life from the lower IED resistant Hummer. We don't care what the costs are get them to the troops. MRAP, Hummer on steroids or another version of the striker? Striker tactics are in place, they have been in the field for sometime now. This vehicle looks similar, with a different mission, light personnel transport, don't fit that. Striker? Don't fit that. Hold off we don't know what we are going to do with them? More perfect planning. We the unwilling, led by the unknowing, are tasked with doing it all, without direction from the intellects. You have got to love these guys in the leadership positions. Just who are they communicating with? A dart board?
Once again we see the Politicians getting ready to stir the pot with their bull----stick. Now that we have a truly military vehicle getting into the hands of the troops, here come the armchair Generals .What a joke.
Keep in mind that a lot of these demands are not actually from the field or even the services. Manufacturers in some congressional district show their congressman what a wonderful piece of junk they make and then question why the troops are dieing, because if they only had these things we make.
Then congress is all over it and the money and requirements begin to flow from the top down. Of course there is a huge marketing effort to influence the “troops” so that they will ask for the junk. No one knows what to do with it or why we need it but everyone knows it will save lives. So, we gotta have it.
The MRAP has saved lives and I’m sure it will save more. But don’t think you’ll ever see them fielded generally to the active forces. Some special organizations (Engineers for demolitions, IED’s, etc.) but not across the fleet. There is no need in a traditional combat situation. Way to expensive, to maintenance intensive, to big, to heavy, to much fuel, to slow, limited off-road capability……
We will leave them behind when we leave in 30 years or so.
Now its been my experience that before the military did anything with any kind of veichle or any piece of equipment it was test test test. They are about to spend billions on something they dont know if it even works nor how to work with it in the field. To me thats just a waist of the tax payers money. I mean come on would you spend 5 grand on something you knew nothing about or how it would work? NO! So explain to me again why are we spending these billions on mass producing something we arn't even sure how to use it in battle.
It seems that instead of going heavier we would figure out a technolgy (laser, etc...) that the soldier could use on the ground for detection and disarming????
The need for the MRAP came about because an "uparmored" Humvee didn't do the job adequately. Both vehicles will have absolutely no role to play in any other type of military operation other than patrolling areas densely-populated by civilians who detest us and our presence in their midst.
Once we pull out of the "colony control" business, our military won't need and shouldn't use these vehicles. But we are where we are and doing what militaries should not be doing. As long as we are, we will need this type of vehicle.
"I would say 'relax,' we don't know how we're going to use them, nobody does," said Brig. Gen. select Larry Nicholson, deputy commander of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command based in Quantico, Va. "And anyone who says ... 'this is exactly how many we need and this is exactly how we're going to use them' is not being truthful."
I thought it was the job of each branches Chief of Staff to decide how best to use new equipment, in this case the Commandant of the Marines. If these MRAP's are to replace the hummer's all you have to do is pull the hummer's off line and replace them with MRAP's, one for one. Unless our supply system has deteriorated to the point of non-existence, that should work.
"Sometimes I wonder who's in charge of that Mickey Mouse operation at the Pentagon"
you wonder who is in charge at the 5 sided puzzle palace? last time i checked there was civilian at the top of the pile. however, its the military, my marines that want to make sure they are using them right, with out getting sombody killed. as long as its the guys with boots on the ground asking, i say they are the experts.
Originally posted by eyesight01: Everybody was screaming we need these to stop the loss of life from the lower IED resistant Hummer. We don't care what the costs are get them to the troops. MRAP, Hummer on steroids or another version of the striker? Striker tactics are in place, they have been in the field for sometime now. This vehicle looks similar, with a different mission, light personnel transport, don't fit that. Striker? Don't fit that. Hold off we don't know what we are going to do with them? More perfect planning. We the unwilling, led by the unknowing, are tasked with doing it all, without direction from the intellects. You have got to love these guys in the leadership positions. Just who are they communicating with? A dart board?
Originally posted by wtpworrier: "I would say 'relax,' we don't know how we're going to use them, nobody does," said Brig. Gen. select Larry Nicholson, deputy commander of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command based in Quantico, Va. "And anyone who says ... 'this is exactly how many we need and this is exactly how we're going to use them' is not being truthful."
I thought it was the job of each branches Chief of Staff to decide how best to use new equipment, in this case the Commandant of the Marines. If these MRAP's are to replace the hummer's all you have to do is pull the hummer's off line and replace them with MRAP's, one for one. Unless our supply system has deteriorated to the point of non-existence, that should work.
"Sometimes I wonder who's in charge of that Mickey Mouse operation at the Pentagon"
I think you should march right over to Quantico, pound on Nicholson's door and tell him to his face that he's an idiot. Obviously, you know more about everything than he does.
$800,000.000 for a freekin heavy jeep? Jesus folks, have we lost our ever lovin minds once again? Six months ago they were doing everything they could to ramp up production to get these puppies to the where the action was. Nothing, absolutely noting in this world will ramp up production quicker than telling a manufacturer that you don't care what it costs...just get it done! Now the field commanders tell the Pentagon "Whoa dudes, you are covering us up with these behemoths and we can't handle them. If this whole war isn't the biggest debacle in history I will be dipped in pure feces.
I say get them in the field ASAP and figure out the best way to use them after that. The military can always find unique ways to use what the tax payers buy for them.
Turn them over to the follow-on military forces????? At $800,000.00 a copy, why don't we, for once, get our money back for our effort in producing them in the first place.
Seems like we have abandond military equipment all over the world for the last 70 years. When are we going to get smart and recoup some of our expense. And while we are talking expense; what ever happened to the countries of Saudi Arabia and Quait paying us back for having saved them from Sadam? And when is Iraq going to pay us reparations for freeing them from Sadam? Bad enough that we had to loose over 4000 people in the process. Let's not be stupid, like we have been in the past and act the part of the world's sugar daddy when it comes to paying the bill.
Want to end the war tomorrow, Just hand the countries in the middle east the bill for our activities in their land and on their behalf. They will politely and swiftly request that we depart....forthwith. Done deal!!!
...the one on the left, was in the front; the one on the right, was on the left; the one in the front, was on the right; and the guy in the rear...burned his drivers license!!!
This is as rich as six feet up a bulls rectum... Respects, maybe...sorta'...I guess, Sergeant, uh, oh yeah, Major
What congressional district is the manfacturer located in. Who is the CEO related to in congress? If commanders in the field don't know what they need-one thing they don't need is apolitican telling them what they need. my two cents.
Go with what the Marines are telling you, they are the ones to use them and if they need to figure out how to best use them, then shut up and listen to what they have to say! Respectfully, SUNLINER81
