Foreign Governments Line Up to Buy U.S. Drones

[The Straight Story]

Foreign Governments Line Up to Buy U.S. Drones


Foreign buyers are itching for the opportunity to buy American-made pilotless reconnaissance aircraft, and the Department of Defense does not plan to get in the way, despite concerns that the military technology could fall into the wrong hands.

The Global Hawk spy plane has been a great product for defense contractor Northrop Grumman since it first began selling them 11 years ago. The U.S. Air Force has relied on the drones to collect intelligence in Iraq and Afghanistan, flying up to 60,000 feet and on missions lasting 32 hours at a time. And while the Global Hawk is not cheap—$30 million apiece—it’s considerably more affordable than piloted aircraft like the $85 million Joint Strike Fighter.

Countries looking to purchase Global Hawk include Japan and South Korea (to help both improve their spying of North Korea), Australia, Germany, Singapore, Spain, New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom. Once the aircraft is in foreign hands, there’s no guarantee it won’t be resold to third parties—something that has happened to other U.S. military hardware.

http://www.allgov.com/Top_Stories/ViewNews/Foreign_Governments_Line_Up_to_Buy_US_Drones_100403

[NJmaverick]

1. This will also provide jobs and help the nation's trade deficit

[Ozymanithrax]

2. It is good toknow that we still make something here...

[zalinda]

3. Yeah, even if it's a product meant to kill people. n/t

[Ozymanithrax]

5. Guns and war machines, made in America...

[G_j]

6. & that's about it nt

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

7. Maybe the govt should auction off the rights to the names of the bombs being sold

and allow people to keep count of how many innocent lives their bombs killed?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. Our "Masters of War" are pleased.

Come you masters of war
You that build all the guns
You that build the death planes
You that build all the bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
We just want you to know we can see through your masks

You that never done nothing
But build and destroy
You play with our world
Like it's your little toy
You put a gun in my head
And then you hide from my eyes
Then you turn and run following the fast foolish line

Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You won't need to believe
But I see through your eye
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water that runs down my drain

You that fasten all the trigger
For the others to fire
And you sit back and watch
While the death toll gets higher
You hide in your mansion
While young people's blood
Flows out of their bodies and is buried in the mud

You've thrown the worst fear
That could ever be hurled
The fear to bring children
Into this world
For threatening my baby
Unborn and unnamed
You ain't worth the blood that runs through your veins

How much do we know
To talk out of turn?
You might say that we're young
You might say we're unlearned
But there's one thing I know
Though I'm younger than you
Even Jesus would never forgive what you do

Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good?
Will it buy you forgiveness?
Do you think that it would?
Oh, I think you will find
When your death takes its toll
All the money you made will never buy back your soul

And I hope that you die
And your death will come soon
I'll stand on your
In the pale afternoon
And I'll watch while you're lowered
Into your deathbed
And I'll stand on your grave till I'm sure that you're dead

Bob Dylan

[jwirr]

8. So relevant for the ages. Yeah we have jobs and so do the soldiers

who will die with the products of our labor.