Hunter's Gun Truck - One reason for the Iraq armor shortage:

opinionjournal.com ^ | Tuesday, December 14, 2004 | BRENDAN MINITER

[hedgie]

Used in Vietnam -- Nothing new here.

[Chode]

Steel Wheels...

[hardride]

Vietnam Gun Trucks book http://www.geocities.com/afpmuseum/bkhride.html It is uncanny to see that the vehicles are done up almost the same way except for having mini-guns and Quad 50 Cal. mounts.

[meadsjn]

...but so is limited resources competing for system improvements, operations tempo, soldier pay, infrastructure, logistics, etc. I think the Army is doing pretty damned good with what Congress has given them.

This experiment is rather unique in human history - attempting to wage a war, while simultaneously draining the wealth, technology, and productive capability of the country and giving it all to our most likely enemies in the next war. Ain't MBA modern math just a wonder to behold?

[animoveritas]

Don't think this is unique. Same issues with War of 1812, Spanish-American War, Indian Wars, WWI, Korea... The US has the industrial contingency capacity to do more, the challenge is balancing the effort with the materialistic trappings that many Americans equate with goodness.

As for the future threat, we never know. Remember cash and carry? Japan bombed Pearl Harbor with the metal we sold them from the bankrupt Pennsylvania RR.