Posted on 01/06/2005 8:06:04 AM PST by Happy2BMe
US seeks to buy ammunition from Taiwan as stocks run low after Iraq: report
(AFP)
6 January 2005
TAIPEI - The United States is planning to buy hundreds of millions of bullets from Taiwan in the first such deal as its supplies are running low after wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, a report said Thursday.
Citing Taiwanese military sources, the United Evening News said Washington had made the request to acquire some 300 million 5.56-millimeter bullets for rifles for an estimated two billion Taiwan dollars (62.5 million US).
The deal was yet to be finalized pending price negotiations, it said.
An unnamed general quoted by the paper said it would be the first time for Washington, Taiwan’s leading arms supplier, to acquire arms from the island.
In line with its usual practice, Taiwan’s defense ministry declined to comment on the report.
Taiwan produces some 400 million such bullets annually, according to the paper. It added most rifle bullets were manufactured by an arsenal in southern Kaohsiung which has storage problems due to declining demand in the absence of any military conflict across the Taiwan Strait.
The paper also said Taiwan had exported T-91 rifles to several countries in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.
Washington Wednesday agreed to sell air-to-ground Hellfire missiles worth 50 million US dollars to Taiwan to help the island defend itself against threats from rival China.
“The US Army has executed a letter of agreement with Taiwan, setting the stage for the sale of more than 400 AGM-114M blast-fragmentation Hellfire rounds under a foreign military sales contract,” US defense giant Lockheed Martin Corporation said.
It would take the company about six months to make the Hellfire missiles ordered by Taiwan.
The missiles will be mounted on Taiwan’s Super Cobra AH-1W attack and OH-58D Kiowa Warrior scout helicopters.
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Have we done this in the past? I don't like the message it sends of the U.S. having to backfill something as basic as a field round in an emergency buy from a foreign source.
(Outsourcing bullets now, are we?)
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"The United States is planning to buy hundreds of millions of bullets from Taiwan in the first such deal as its supplies are running low after wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, a report said Thursday."
Another KLINTOON legacy.
This disturbs me. If we have to rely on foreign manufacturers for basic munitions like these, then there's something wrong.
I strongly believe that manufacture of munitions used by the US Military should be strictly limited to US companies and manufactured within our own borders.
I think there's way too much risk in relying on foreign manufacture of these goods.
It's the Pentagon looking for a way to give Taiwain more money.
There wouldn't be a shortage if our AR-15's weren't on a list
they shouldn't have been on.
Have you got any links to that hunch?
Perhaps. Also sends a message to China about our continued military relationship with Taipei. Right now Beijing is laying a lot of threats and pressure on re. it's anti-secessionist law, aimed primarily at stopping Taiwan from declaring independence or going 'too far' in its new constitution.
I hope that's the main reason for doing this.
(We should be in the position of being able to supplement Tiawan - NOT THE REVERSE!)
Welcome to the service economy world where even what's left of our manufacturing companies can't get it done.
You couldn't be serious.
Agreed.
Don't watch what the State Department says. Watch what we DO.
In essence, we're swapping Hellfire missiles - good for use against Chinese amphibious craft and merchant vessels - for the ammo rounds. And it frees up the storage space issues the Taiwanese were having.
Just being a little sarcastic.
Maybe they should get their ammo where I get mine:
www.cheaperthandirt.com
If it was that simple the US ammo manufacturers would be screaming out loud!
Everyday, more and more, I am for bringing all our troops home., but then I want to replace 98% of Congress and the Senate too, so I don't know just what's happening.
I do know America is going to Hell in a handbasket.....that was made in Rwhanda as part of some globalistic plan to help an international corporation headquartered in Poland or Italy.
The Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Independence MO is operated by Alliant Tech Systems (ATK) and they are the only contracted domestic provider of the 5.56MM munitions. They have done a lot in the last several years to increase their production to 150-250% of past production. The problem is, as was alluded in an earlier post, we cannot stockpile right now. This is JIT inventory based on our current situation. Thanks, Clinton administration for your foresight, or lack thereof.
I heard from my brothers friend who knew some guys uncle who had read from an "undisclosed source" that this is not true!
What do you think? :)
Red6
No, we just don't have the manufacturing capacity. As a business, it's about as popular as nuclear power or oil refining.
Are we buying bullets or ammunition?
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