Military Industry Hurries to Unload Weapons and Equipment in Iraq

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Iraq will receive 400 M1126 STRYKER Infantry Carrier Vehicles.


U.S. arm sales to Iraq worth up to $6 billion

12:12 GMT, December 12, 2008-

The U.S. wants to support the reconstruction of the Iraqi Armed Forces with billions-worth weapon supplies. According to U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), Iraq wants to buy military equipment including Abrams tanks, Stryker wheeled vehicles, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft worth over $6 billion (€4.5 billion).

Other requests include over 80.000 rifles and coastal patrol boats.

The largest of the agreements is for 140 M1A1M Abrams tanks (upgraded and modified version), 8 M88A2 tank recovery vehicles, 64 M1151A1B1 up-armored Humvees as well as shelter carriers and other military vehicles. The total value of this contract is up to $2.16 billion.

Other arm sale agreements includes:

- 26 Bell Armed 407 Helicopters equipped with Rolls Royce 250-C-30 Engines, M280 2.75-inch Launchers, XM296 .50 Cal. Machine Guns and M299 HELLFIRE Guided Missile Launchers with a total value of $366 million;
- 400 M1126 STRYKER Infantry Carrier Vehicles as well as associated equipment for $1.11 billion;
- Deployable Rapid Assembly Shelters (DRASH) and different military radios for some $485 million;
- 80.000 M16A4 5.56MM Rifles, 25.000 M4 5.56MM Carbines, as well as 2,550 M203 40MM Grenade with a total value of $148 million;
- 20 Coastal Patrol Boats (30-35meter) and 3 Offshore Support Vessels (55-60 meter) worth some $1.010 billion;
- 20 T-6A Texan aircraft equipped with Global Positioning Systems (GPS) worth $210 million.
- 36 AT-6B Texan II Aircraft as well as associated support with a total value of about $520 million.

Lawmakers now have 30 days to block the sales, however, it is considered as probable that the U.S. Congress does not contradict these sales.

Companies are involved such as General Dynamics Land Systems, ITT Corp., Harris Corp., Colt Manufacturing Company, Bell Helicopters, Hawker Beechcraft Corp. and Pratt & Whitney Corp. Most of them are from the U.S. No main contractor had yet been identified for the patrol boats and support vessels.

http://www.defpro.com/daily/details/202/


related:

More than $9 billion for the reconstruction of the Iraqi Armed Forces

10:12 GMT, August 5, 2008 The U.S. wants to support the reconstruction of the Iraqi Armed Forces with billions-worth weapon supplies. According to U.S. Department of Defense Iraq wants to buy 140 M1A1 Abrams tanks modified and upgraded to the M1A1M Abrams configuration, along with over a hundred support vehicles. The total contract cost would be $2.16 billion and includes also 8 M88A2 Tank Recovery Vehicles, 64 M1151A1B1 Armored High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV), 92 M1152 Shelter Carriers, 35 M1070 Heavy Equipment Transporter (HET) Truck Tractors, and 140 M1085A1 5-ton Cargo Trucks.

Other requests include 24 helicopters (Bell Armed 407 Helicopters or Boeing AH-6 Helicopters) with related munitions, 392 Light Armored Vehicles (LAVs), radios, anti-tank weapons and 6 C-130J-30 Aircraft as well as associated equipment and services with a total value of approximately $9.4 billion.
http://www.defpro.com/daily/details/91/


Pentagon lost almost 200,000 weapons in Iraq
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/08/06/iraq.weapons/index.html

[RaleighNCDUer]

1. So THAT'S the problem in Iraq?

Not enough weapons?

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3. they've been arming all sides in Iraq

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2007/07/amnesty.html

[Winterblues]

2. What the Iraq "War" is all about..."War Profiteering"

Blow things up so they have to be replaced and Military Industrial complex does very well while the rest of America goes to hell. Republicans get their kick backs through campaign contributions...What a system....