Armored Tank Production No Longer Needed by US Military
- 10 years ago
The United States military is calling for fewer new tanks to be built,but Congress is supporting industrial interests that want to develop and produce more armored vehicles.
The United States military is calling for fewer new tanks to be built, but Congress is supporting industrial interests that want to develop and produce more armored vehicles.
Changes in warfare tactics are calling for more stealthy and portable forces like long range bombers, submarines, and unmanned drones.
Tank repairs are expensive, and there are an estimated 5 thousand US military tanks that are either idle or in need of an upgrade.
Two tank manufacturing facilities might be closing due to lack of military interest, but Congress is responsible for allocating the military budget and they are hesitant to scrap existing industrial infrastructure and planning. The industry itself, from suppliers to manufacturers, has also taken to lobbying for protection of their plants and jobs.
Angela Canterbury of the Project on Government Oversight is quoted as saying: “It looks like they’re protecting profits and using scare tactics about jobs. It is really making us less safe when we’re throwing money that’s hard to come by at programs that don’t meet what should be our current national security strategy.”
Hundreds of millions of tax dollars are spent every year in the manufacture of tanks and armored vehicles for military use.
The United States military is calling for fewer new tanks to be built, but Congress is supporting industrial interests that want to develop and produce more armored vehicles.
Changes in warfare tactics are calling for more stealthy and portable forces like long range bombers, submarines, and unmanned drones.
Tank repairs are expensive, and there are an estimated 5 thousand US military tanks that are either idle or in need of an upgrade.
Two tank manufacturing facilities might be closing due to lack of military interest, but Congress is responsible for allocating the military budget and they are hesitant to scrap existing industrial infrastructure and planning. The industry itself, from suppliers to manufacturers, has also taken to lobbying for protection of their plants and jobs.
Angela Canterbury of the Project on Government Oversight is quoted as saying: “It looks like they’re protecting profits and using scare tactics about jobs. It is really making us less safe when we’re throwing money that’s hard to come by at programs that don’t meet what should be our current national security strategy.”
Hundreds of millions of tax dollars are spent every year in the manufacture of tanks and armored vehicles for military use.