Posted on 12/13/2013 3:34:52 AM PST by lowbridge
Has congress authorized the money? He can’t spend billy willy.
We’re going to pay for them anyway so I guess the question is which would you rather see turned over to the Taliban; Chinooks or Mils?
Truthfully, Russian built gear is of lower quality, but it has a reputation for ease of use and maintenance, and being armored, tough enough to take a lot of hits.
The safety briefing on a Chinook, however, is straightforward. “If you smell a funny smell, it is hydraulic fluid, and we are all going to die.” Every time you fly a Chinook it is going to need maintenance.
Add to this that Russian helicopters and parts are readily available in the region, and that Afghans are going to be flying and fixing the things, and I would say 90% of the time to buy Russian.
F the Afghans...let them pay for their own hardware. Get us out.
FUBO
Travis, those are contractor IPs being checked out in the Mi 17 in FL prior to deployment to Afghanistan to train Afghan army pilots.
a billion here, a billion there...
Still cheaper than opening Boeing’s CH-47 production line and the associated logistical trail required to maintain them. The larger question remains why we are deliberately wasting blood and treasure in that black hole at all. There certainly isn’t any plan for US victory there. Apologies, defeat and surrender are Obama’s signature moves. Our troops are paying a terrible price for his agenda.
That’s also a very plausible story, one to add to the rest. Probably true, along with others. That’s how CIA “proprietary” fronts work. I remember “Southern Air Transport” operating out of a back part of the Fort Lauderdale airport. That was part of the contra era, hell, maybe it’s still operating under a new name.
True, they are still operating under “new management” for the same alphabet entity. Same game, different clients and missions.
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