Posted on 04/14/2017 9:31:50 AM PDT by marktwain
The giant bomb U.S. forces dropped Thursday on an ISIS training camp in Afghanistan did not cost $314 million to develop, or $16 million per unit as reported by multiple news outlets.
Every news report about cost of the “Mother of All Bombs” relied on a misreading of a 2011 article or a dubious internet website that InfoWars once linked to with a “healthy bit of skepticism.”
The actual cost of the bomb is unknown. The actual cost of the program isn’t publicly available because the Mother of All Bombs, officially known as GBU-43 or the Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB), is manufactured by the military and not a private defense company. (RELATED: US Drops ‘Mother Of All Bombs’ On ISIS In Afghanistan)
In fact, the Air Force doesn’t even keep track of the per unit cost, nor the cost of the program as a whole, because it is not manufactured privately.
“We don’t have a cost per unit” for the MOAB, Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek told The Daily Caller News Foundation. “These munitions were produced in-house so we don’t have a standard procurement cost associated with them.”
The Air Force mostly used existing technologies and hardware for the first MOAB prototypes and never contracted out the full production of the bomb, so they did not need to itemize and add the cost of each weapon component, Stefanek told TheDCNF.
Now, to raqqa, dabiq, rinse, repeat.......
Cheers
KYPD
I find your estimate quite plausible and reasonable. Thank you.
You can build a W-88 warhead for about $1mil, excluding the cost of the “material”.
You can build a W-88 warhead for about $1mil, excluding the cost of the “material”.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W88
A whole lot less than 60 missile too. War stops when one side can't continue, not before.
That “cost” employs hundreds (if not thousands). The “cost” of war is a redherring. MONEY STAYS RIGHT HERE.
The “cost” of losing is huge.
Peace through strength.
If you want peace, prepare for war.
These are obvious truisms that the left disputes.
Who cares!?
Its cheaper than the arms, legs, and lives it would have cost to send in ground troops to that area.
The 13+ million per bomb story that is floating about is complete B.S.
Yeah, the MOAB was one of these quick and dirty projects that got done fast by a small and dedicated team of engineers and techs because we needed it.
The MOAB is just a really big fuel -air bomb that is relatively inexpensive to produce. We should use them more often
Amateurs discuss tactics.
Professionals discuss logistics.
Cost is important.
An yes, we have traditionally been willing to expend expensive munitions to save American limbs and lives. Lots of other countries do not value their soldiers so much.
It is one of the reasons we have the best military (for its size) on the earth.
(part of that is no one else can afford what we are willing to spend)
All I can say is that when I was on Active Duty they made me account for every penny. When I was a civilian Fed Employee they made me account for every penny as well. Even to the point of making me attend meetings in cities where it was impossible to eat or stay on the travel allowance they paid. Now, I was just a schmuck and not family or friend of the powerful so I had to play by the rules.
Yeah, the MOAB was one of these quick and dirty projects that got done fast by a small and dedicated team of engineers and techs because we needed it.
Of course, a very large number are former military.
That’s not surprising, since the DOD is “missing” $6.5 TRILLION of our tax dollars! They have never been audited because there is no bookkeeping system in place. At least when they have a few big bombs, there is something to show for our money, but that’s only a few measles millions. Someone should be in prison for their colossal theft.
Couldn’t care less what it cost.
Release the video of it’s use and make us proud...
Good.
http://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104614/massive-ordnance-penetrator/ takes you to the USAF fact sheet on the weapon—it is “Massive Ordinance Perpetrator (MOP), not MOAB.
Media gets it wrong again.
Cost, found at: http://www.saffm.hq.af.mil/Portals/84/documents/FY12/AFD-110211-039.pdf?ver=2016-08-23-123609-213, pg 05-1 and also page 05-63. . .cost $23Mil for the program start.
With this success, asking for next fiscal year to add $40mil for procurement and an additional $55Mil for more RTD&E.
On another site, a Marine VN War vet commented his unit assembled a very large bomb. It was a connex container loaded slap full of C4. They rigged up a fuse system and set it off. He indicated it was quite impressive.
Cost? The materials were already in country and were supposed to be used.
Like the 15 year old cans of Paint I still have on the shelf in the basement. Should have used them when I bought them and had the chance.........
Bombs like these have a shelf life. At 17 years old, it was near the use it or lose it place in its life cycle.
Good analysis and thoughts. I do remember reading years ago that bunker buster bombs were going to be fashioned from the remaining inventory of battleship 16 in gun tubes.
Could this use of surplus quality steel reduced the cost to almost miniscule, at least in federal procurement terms?
“Lots of other countries do not value their soldiers so much”
This is so key to understanding the state of world wide military affairs.
Goes to show why we have to fight to keep the dignity and value of human life in our laws.
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