US Senators Protest $572 Million Russian Helicopter Deal
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[IMG]http://en.rian.ru/images/18118/97/181189777.jpg[/IMG]
[QUOTE]WASHINGTON, August 7 (RIA Novosti) — A bipartisan group of 12 US senators has signed a letter urging the Pentagon to cancel its recently announced $572 million contract to purchase 30 Russian helicopters for use in Afghanistan.
Led by Sen. John Cornyn, the senators sent the letter August 5 to General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, arguing that while Rosoboronexport, the state-run Russian arms exporter “receives huge payments from DOD [the Department of Defense], it also continues to serve as a key enabler of atrocities in Syria, transferring weapons and ammunition to prop up the bloodthirsty regime of Bashar al-Assad.”
Russia has insisted that it is fulfilling existing contracts with Syria, and that the deliveries are legal under international law. Moscow has also questioned the composition and goals of the various armed groups fighting the Assad regime.
The senators criticized the Pentagon for making US taxpayers “unwitting victims of Russian corruption” and for failing to consider “the strategic implications of sourcing mission-critical military equipment from a potentially hostile power such as Russia.”
The senators added that “[the] DOD’s preference for Russian helicopters will also make it highly difficult to achieve robust interoperability between the US and Afghan helicopter fleets, which is in the long-term interests of both nations. These problems are self-inflicted, and this policy is extremely shortsighted.”
“The department has determined that Rosoboronexport is the only viable means of meeting the Afghanistan National Security Force (ANSF) requirements” for the helicopters, Pentagon spokesman James Gregory told RIA Novosti when the controversial contract was announced.
He added that Afghan forces have already been trained to operate the Russian aircraft, and said switching to a new aircraft would require training and experience for at least three years before Afghan forces would be ready.[/QUOTE]
[url]http://en.rian.ru/world/20130807/182635517/US-Senators-Protest-572-Million-Russian-Helicopter-Deal.html[/url]
The senators most likely have been heavily lobbied by US defense contractors. They never actually take action.
I admit that the entire "USA buying weapons from a guy who also sells weapons to another guy who bullies USA's friends" situation rises moral questions, but I bet they are still only doing it because of some homeland weapon manufacture lobbying.
wow
Who are these going to exactly?
I remember when I was doing research for a paper that U.S forces in Afghanistan were borrowing them because the Osprey couldn't operate well there and had a super high upkeep with all the dust. So maybe Boeing has a stick up there ass about it or something.
[QUOTE=]it also continues to serve as a key enabler of atrocities in Syria, transferring weapons and ammunition to prop up the bloodthirsty regime of Bashar al-Assad.”[/QUOTE]
It's not like the U.S. ever has ever funded or funneled weapons in support of an armed conflict, nope, never, not once.
Besides these things are likely much, much more reliable than whatever U.S. contractors are selling us, and undoubtedly a lot cheaper. A penny compared to how much we've spent on the F-35 program, which is nearing $165 million per plane.
YEAH GUYS COME ONE WE NEED A BIGGER MILITARY, SANDNIGGERS AIN'T GONNA BLOW THEMSELVES UP HOO-WEE
[img]http://www.fuckcapcorrection.com[/img]
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[QUOTE=Saxon;41756409]Who are these going to exactly?
I remember when I was doing research for a paper that U.S forces in Afghanistan were borrowing them because the Osprey couldn't operate well there and had a super high upkeep with all the dust. So maybe Boeing has a stick up there ass about it or something.[/QUOTE]
They are going to the Afghan security forces.
[editline]8th August 2013[/editline]
[QUOTE=prooboo;41757234]YEAH GUYS COME ONE WE NEED A BIGGER MILITARY, SANDNIGGERS AIN'T GONNA BLOW THEMSELVES UP HOO-WEE
[img]http://www.fuckcapcorrection.com[/img][/QUOTE]
These aren't for us, and you would know this if you took 5 seconds to read the article.
[QUOTE=prooboo;41757234]YEAH GUYS COME ONE WE NEED A BIGGER MILITARY, SANDNIGGERS AIN'T GONNA BLOW THEMSELVES UP HOO-WEE
[img]http://www.fuckcapcorrection.com[/img][/QUOTE]
Actually this is ironic because these choppers are intended [I]for[/I] "sandniggers", so they can take care of themselves without further active help of American Military. This is exactly what USA should do to be able to scale down it's own military - help and support the local security forces, so American presence won't be necessary anymore.
I support them buying these helicopters. If Afghanistan has anything, it's an excess of spare parts from Russian helicopters littering the landscape.
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