[cashless]

One person has stated the obvious about the Ruskie vs. US helio costs. The governmental red tape adds to base costs. The funding fight in Congress adds to the costs. The lobbyists for the manufacturer adds to the costs. You get the idea. They have none of these obstacles. But the number one reason in my mind for the wide cost difference is the out of touch with reality of UNION CONTRACTS eagerly agreed to by the manufacturers to reduce the possibility of strikes (simple extortion) and a Labor Department that has historically protected and promoted unions over non-union shops along with the states with no right to work laws that tilt the playing field in favor of unions. America in this regard, walked up to the mirror, looked itself dead in the eye, and with a steady hand, all in one Ninja like motion, cut off it's nose to despite it's face while slitting it's own throat.

[Carry_Okie]

But the number one reason in my mind for the wide cost difference is the out of touch with reality of UNION CONTRACTS eagerly agreed to by the manufacturers to reduce the possibility of strikes (simple extortion) and a Labor Department that has historically protected and promoted unions over non-union shops along with the states with no right to work laws that tilt the playing field in favor of unions.

Nonsense. I was a manufacturing engineer in military procurement. The number one reason for the cost of MIL-SPEC products is paperwork, whether traceability, safety, documentation, qualification testing, backward revision capability... It's an absolutely insane system. Actual production are NOTHING by comparison, which is why it really does cost hundreds of dollars to sell them a hammer.

Oh, and by the way, we were non-union.