• US House rejects move to scrap funding for V-22
    8 replies, posted
[quote=Reuters] Feb 15 (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday voted to maintain funding for the V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft built by Boeing Co (BA.N) and Textron Inc's (TXT.N) Bell Helicopter unit. By a vote of 326 to 105, the House voted to keep $415 million in funding that was still to be spent this year on the aircraft, which takes off and lands like a helicopter, but flies like a plane. Representative Luis Gutierrez, an Illinois Democrat, introduced the measure to cut the funding, in an amendment to a Republican bill that would cut domestic spending in the remainder of the fiscal 2011 year by $61 billion from current levels. Gutierrez called the V-22 a "boondoggle" and said the Pentagon needed to tighten its belt at a time when Republicans were trying to cut funding for community health centers, student financial aid and firefighters. Debate on the Republican bill began Tuesday and will likely continue through Thursday in a legislative marathon that will include debate on 400 amendments filed by both Democrats and Republicans to cut Pentagon spending and other programs. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Monday warned that the Pentagon was heading for a crisis unless lawmakers approved at least $540 billion in defense funding for fiscal 2011. Several U.S. lawmakers rose to defend the V-22 program, arguing that it provided a critical capability for U.S. Marines and other troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. The V-22 program was nearly canceled after several deadly accidents during its development. It is used for airborne assault, vertical lift, combat search and rescue and special operations. The Pentagon on Monday requested $2.7 billion to buy 36 V-22 aircraft in fiscal 2012 under the last year of a five-year fixed-price procurement agreement. Officials with the V-22 program have said they may seek another five-year agreement beginning in fiscal 2013. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal-Esa; Editing by Gary Hill) [/quote] Source: [url]http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/16/usa-congress-v-idUSN1523150620110216[/url]
It might be expensive, but it's a very good design.
[QUOTE=CertainDOOM;28104993]It might be expensive, but it's a very good design.[/QUOTE] Is it worth $415 million?
It keeps people employed at Boeing and Bell to build them plus it pumps money into the economy so its not like that money is wasted.
[QUOTE=Saxon;28117682]It keeps people employed at Boeing and Bell to build them plus it pumps money into the economy so its not like that money is wasted.[/QUOTE] Well it isn't creating any jorbs
It's not worth half a Billion for itself in just this year... We have C-130's, We have Chinooks. We don't need a V-22, which carries less than both of those, to do both I say downsize, and use the ones we have for Medevac's ... that would be the ideal role for them... It's faster so it gets to the wounded and back faster, and can land anywhere a helicopter can. But for transporting, Time isn't much of a factor, and Chinooks and C-130's can transport more
[QUOTE=Habsburg;28117724]Well it isn't creating any jorbs[/QUOTE] True but how many would be lost if you just scarped it. You need facilities and workers and workers to maintain the facilities and then you need suppliers to get the material needed to build the aircraft. If you want the economy to come back you just don't cut a contract that big. I don't really think the V-22 is that great of an aircraft since its a first generation kind of deal but I'm more concerned about the economical impact.
[QUOTE=Saxon;28117915]True but how many would be lost if you just scarped it. You need facilities and workers and workers to maintain the facilities and then you need suppliers to get the material needed to buy the aircraft. If you want the economy to come back you just don't cut a contract that big.[/QUOTE] All of those jobs are creating inflation so we might as well not even have them in the first place.
[QUOTE=PvtCupcakes;28117933]All of those jobs are creating inflation so we might as well not even have them in the first place.[/QUOTE] Oh I forgot everyone in the military is a scumbag hired killer.
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