Economy Fucked Up, This Is One Reason

[thoughtone]

source: The Washington Post

An artist's rendering of the Falcon vehicle, which is expected to be capable of delivering 12,000 pounds of payload. (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency)​

Space Defense Program Gets Extra Funding

By Walter Pincus
Monday, November 12, 2007; Page A19

While wrestling with wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Pentagon is preparing weapons to fight the next battle from space, according to information in the 621-page, House-Senate conference report on the fiscal 2008 defense appropriations bill.

The $459 billion bill, which awaits President Bush's signature, provides $100 million for a new "prompt global strike" program that could deliver a conventional, precision-guided warhead anywhere in the world within two hours. It takes funds away from development of a conventional warhead for the Navy's submarine-launched Trident Intercontinental Ballistic Missile and from an Air Force plan for the Common Aero Vehicle.

The new program, dubbed Falcon, for "Force Application and Launch from CONUS," centers on a small-launch-vehicle concept of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The agency describes Falcon as a "a reusable Hypersonic Cruise Vehicle (HCV) capable of delivering 12,000 pounds of payload at a distance of 9,000 nautical miles from [the continental United States] in less than two hours."

Hypersonic speed is far greater than the speed of sound. The reusable vehicle being contemplated would "provide the country with significant capability to conduct responsive missions with quick turn-around sortie rates while providing aircraft-like operability and mission-recall capability," according to DARPA.

The vehicle would be launched into space on a rocket, fly on its own to a target, deliver its payload and return to Earth. In the short term, a small launch rocket is being developed as part of Falcon. It eventually would be able to boost the hypersonic vehicle into space. But in the interim, it will be used to launch small satellites within 48 hours' notice at a cost of less than $5 million a shot.

Conferees added $100 million above the Bush administration's request for nearly $200 million to accelerate "space situational awareness." That is code for protecting U.S. satellites in space and being able to attack the enemy's satellites.

"Enhancing these capabilities is critical, particularly following the Chinese anti-satellite-weapons demonstration last January," the conferees wrote in their report. They were referring to a Jan. 11 incident in which a Chinese guided missile destroyed an aging weather satellite in orbit.

"Counterspace systems" that would warn of impending threats to U.S. satellites, destroy or defend against attackers, and interrupt enemy satellites are in the Bush budget for $53 million. Conferees gave them another $10 million.

One research project of $7 million in that category is directed at "offensive counterspace," described in the Pentagon's presentation to Congress as designing "the means to disrupt, deny, degrade or destroy an adversary's space systems, or the information they provide."

Another $18 million would go for research into a second-generation counter-satellite-communications system; it would explore and develop capabilities "to provide disruption of satellite communications signals in response to U.S. Strategic Command requirements," according to the Pentagon congressional presentation. The first-generation system is already operational, and an upgrade of those capabilities is in production.

The conferees want to increase funds for the Rapid Identification Detection and Reporting System, which already had $28 million in the Bush budget. This system is designed to provide "attack detection, threat identification and characterization, and support rapid mission impact assessments on U.S. space systems."

Its first-generation system is scheduled for initial operation at the end of next year, while the new funds will allow continuation of research on a second generation, which began this year.

Part of the funding will also go toward work on integrating this system, which detects enemy threats to U.S. satellites, with the offensive counterspace and counter-satellite-communications programs. Eventually, they would be linked with U.S. command-and-control systems "in support of space control and the counterspace mission areas," according to the Pentagon's presentation to Congress.

Integration of these developing counterspace missions with a current command-and-control system is expected by the middle of 2008, according to documents provided to Congress.

National security and intelligence reporter Walter Pincus pores over the speeches, reports, transcripts and other documents that flood Washington and every week uncovers the fine print that rarely makes headlines -- but should. If you have any items that fit the bill, please send them tofineprint@washpost.com.

 

[thoughtone]

source: 23/6.com

November 16, 2007
Army's new $2.6 billion chopper can't fly in "bathing suit weather"

The Army has discovered that its new UH-72A Lakota helicopter, designed for search-and-rescue and disaster relief, has a fatal flaw: It can't fly in hot weather. At temperatures over 80 degrees Fahrenheit, cockpit temperature soars over the upper safe limit of 104 degrees. Naturally, the Army spent $2.6 billion on the choppers, reasoning that it is unlikely ever to be required to perform missions in temperatures over 80 degrees since everyone would be at the beach.

Sadly, the UH-72A is only the latest in a spate of recent military boondoggles that have cost taxpayers billions.


The AT-42 "Tempest" Self-Propelled Combat Transport: Building on the success of its lightning-strike operations during the Iraq War, the Army sought a vehicle that could cover great distances and would not be limited by fuel requirements. The answer: an armored transport vehicle powered by an immense Kevlar sail. After four years of development, the first prototypes were tested in early 2007, and failed to perform to spec. Extensive testing revealed that the probable cause to be: "it isn't windy enough." To rectify the problem, the Army has commissioned a new vehicle, the XR-671 Mobile Propulsion Unit, a humongous fan mounted on a retrofitted Bradley fighting vehicle.
TOTAL COST: $44.2 BILLION

LL-620 "Roaster" Long Range Ballistic Missile (LRBM): Designed to deliver a conventional or nuclear explosive payload, these missiles experienced an 80% failure rate. Testing revealed the probable cause to be that key missile components, including parts of the rocket body and nose-cone insulation, were made of chicken. Chicken's use as a material for advanced weaponry has been championed by a coalition of powerful farm state senators, who point to its low cost in comparison with high-tech synthetic materials such as titanium alloys or ceramics. Unfortunately, when subjected to the extreme temperatures of lift-off and reentry, chicken becomes dry and chewy. Research continues on developing a genetically modified breed of chicken with breast meat that can remain tactically moist and flavorful under the rigorous conditions of nuclear warfare.
TOTAL COST: $27 BILLION

T-1 Combat Infantry Cyborg: This intelligent humanoid robotic soldier is impervious to small arms fire, and capable of conducting complex tactical warfare, relying on its own robotic intelligence to achieve missions quickly. Hailed as breakthrough technology that would free our soldiers from ever again having to risk their lives in combat, the first brigade of T-1s was ready for action in late 2005 to replace U.S. Marines fighting in Iraq. Unfortunately, before it could be deployed, the brigade was permanently sidelined after Army testers discovered that all of the cyborgs were gay.
TOTAL COST: $71 BILLION

Death Star: President Bush, long an admirer and supporter of President Reagan's "Star Wars" missile defense system, insisted that the military take it to the next level, by building a "Star Wars Offense"; specifically, a fully operational Death Star. The president reasoned that if such a weapon could be built and deployed, "that would be awesome." He further argued that the technology is feasible, given that it was already created and demonstrated against the planet Alderon a long, long, time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Democrats and some Republican budget hawks have demanded an investigation into persistent allegations that the design has a known flaw, in that its defenses could be penetrated by a small group of fighters, and that a well-placed proton torpedo could set off a chain reaction that would destroy it completely. However, the project has the support of the Vice President Darth Vader, and is likely to be funded for the foreseeable future.
TOTAL COST: $1.4 TRILLION

 

[Imhotep]

 

[Bain316]

source: 23/6.com

November 16, 2007
Army's new $2.6 billion chopper can't fly in "bathing suit weather"

The Army has discovered that its new UH-72A Lakota helicopter, designed for search-and-rescue and disaster relief, has a fatal flaw: It can't fly in hot weather. At temperatures over 80 degrees Fahrenheit, cockpit temperature soars over the upper safe limit of 104 degrees. Naturally, the Army spent $2.6 billion on the choppers, reasoning that it is unlikely ever to be required to perform missions in temperatures over 80 degrees since everyone would be at the beach.

Sadly, the UH-72A is only the latest in a spate of recent military boondoggles that have cost taxpayers billions.


The AT-42 "Tempest" Self-Propelled Combat Transport: Building on the success of its lightning-strike operations during the Iraq War, the Army sought a vehicle that could cover great distances and would not be limited by fuel requirements. The answer: an armored transport vehicle powered by an immense Kevlar sail. After four years of development, the first prototypes were tested in early 2007, and failed to perform to spec. Extensive testing revealed that the probable cause to be: "it isn't windy enough." To rectify the problem, the Army has commissioned a new vehicle, the XR-671 Mobile Propulsion Unit, a humongous fan mounted on a retrofitted Bradley fighting vehicle.
TOTAL COST: $44.2 BILLION

LL-620 "Roaster" Long Range Ballistic Missile (LRBM): Designed to deliver a conventional or nuclear explosive payload, these missiles experienced an 80% failure rate. Testing revealed the probable cause to be that key missile components, including parts of the rocket body and nose-cone insulation, were made of chicken. Chicken's use as a material for advanced weaponry has been championed by a coalition of powerful farm state senators, who point to its low cost in comparison with high-tech synthetic materials such as titanium alloys or ceramics. Unfortunately, when subjected to the extreme temperatures of lift-off and reentry, chicken becomes dry and chewy. Research continues on developing a genetically modified breed of chicken with breast meat that can remain tactically moist and flavorful under the rigorous conditions of nuclear warfare.
TOTAL COST: $27 BILLION

T-1 Combat Infantry Cyborg: This intelligent humanoid robotic soldier is impervious to small arms fire, and capable of conducting complex tactical warfare, relying on its own robotic intelligence to achieve missions quickly. Hailed as breakthrough technology that would free our soldiers from ever again having to risk their lives in combat, the first brigade of T-1s was ready for action in late 2005 to replace U.S. Marines fighting in Iraq. Unfortunately, before it could be deployed, the brigade was permanently sidelined after Army testers discovered that all of the cyborgs were gay. WTF!
TOTAL COST: $71 BILLION

Death Star: President Bush, long an admirer and supporter of President Reagan's "Star Wars" missile defense system, insisted that the military take it to the next level, by building a "Star Wars Offense"; specifically, a fully operational Death Star. The president reasoned that if such a weapon could be built and deployed, "that would be awesome." He further argued that the technology is feasible, given that it was already created and demonstrated against the planet Alderon a long, long, time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Democrats and some Republican budget hawks have demanded an investigation into persistent allegations that the design has a known flaw, in that its defenses could be penetrated by a small group of fighters, and that a well-placed proton torpedo could set off a chain reaction that would destroy it completely. However, the project has the support of the Vice President Darth Vader, and is likely to be funded for the foreseeable future.
TOTAL COST: $1.4 TRILLION

WTF GAY ROBOTS HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE>? THIS IS HOW THE SOVIET FELL, THEY OVERSPENT ON WEAPONS!

 

[thoughtone]

No more Republicrats. As Ralph Nader stated, “…nobody is debating the Pentagon budget anymore.”

 

[African Herbsman]

The military industrial complex is fucking up the whole world, not just the U.S. economy.

 

[heiesuke]

Ya know… sick

 

[thoughtone]

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source: Michigan State University.edu

Military-Industrial Complex Speech, Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1961

Public Papers of the Presidents, Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1960, p. 1035- 1040

My fellow Americans:

Three days from now, after half a century in the service of our country, I shall lay down the responsibilities of office as, in traditional and solemn ceremony, the authority of the Presidency is vested in my successor.

This evening I come to you with a message of leave-taking and farewell, and to share a few final thoughts with you, my countrymen.

Like every other citizen, I wish the new President, and all who will labor with him, Godspeed. I pray that the coming years will be blessed with peace and prosperity for all.

Our people expect their President and the Congress to find essential agreement on issues of great moment, the wise resolution of which will better shape the future of the Nation.

My own relations with the Congress, which began on a remote and tenuous basis when, long ago, a member of the Senate appointed me to West Point, have since ranged to the intimate during the war and immediate post-war period, and, finally, to the mutually interdependent during these past eight years.

In this final relationship, the Congress and the Administration have, on most vital issues, cooperated well, to serve the national good rather than mere partisanship, and so have assured that the business of the Nation should go forward. So, my official relationship with the Congress ends in a feeling, on my part, of gratitude that we have been able to do so much together.

II.

We now stand ten years past the midpoint of a century that has witnessed four major wars among great nations. Three of these involved our own country. Despite these holocausts America is today the strongest, the most influential and most productive nation in the world. Understandably proud of this pre-eminence, we yet realize that America's leadership and prestige depend, not merely upon our unmatched material progress, riches and military strength, but on how we use our power in the interests of world peace and human betterment.

III.

Throughout America's adventure in free government, our basic purposes have been to keep the peace; to foster progress in human achievement, and to enhance liberty, dignity and integrity among people and among nations. To strive for less would be unworthy of a free and religious people. Any failure traceable to arrogance, or our lack of comprehension or readiness to sacrifice would inflict upon us grievous hurt both at home and abroad.

Progress toward these noble goals is persistently threatened by the conflict now engulfing the world. It commands our whole attention, absorbs our very beings. We face a hostile ideology -- global in scope, atheistic in character, ruthless in purpose, and insidious in method. Unhappily the danger is poses promises to be of indefinite duration. To meet it successfully, there is called for, not so much the emotional and transitory sacrifices of crisis, but rather those which enable us to carry forward steadily, surely, and without complaint the burdens of a prolonged and complex struggle -- with liberty the stake. Only thus shall we remain, despite every provocation, on our charted course toward permanent peace and human betterment.

Crises there will continue to be. In meeting them, whether foreign or domestic, great or small, there is a recurring temptation to feel that some spectacular and costly action could become the miraculous solution to all current difficulties. A huge increase in newer elements of our defense; development of unrealistic programs to cure every ill in agriculture; a dramatic expansion in basic and applied research -- these and many other possibilities, each possibly promising in itself, may be suggested as the only way to the road we wish to travel.

But each proposal must be weighed in the light of a broader consideration: the need to maintain balance in and among national programs -- balance between the private and the public economy, balance between cost and hoped for advantage -- balance between the clearly necessary and the comfortably desirable; balance between our essential requirements as a nation and the duties imposed by the nation upon the individual; balance between actions of the moment and the national welfare of the future. Good judgment seeks balance and progress; lack of it eventually finds imbalance and frustration.

The record of many decades stands as proof that our people and their government have, in the main, understood these truths and have responded to them well, in the face of stress and threat. But threats, new in kind or degree, constantly arise. I mention two only.

IV.

A vital element in keeping the peace is our military establishment. Our arms must be mighty, ready for instant action, so that no potential aggressor may be tempted to risk his own destruction.

Our military organization today bears little relation to that known by any of my predecessors in peacetime, or indeed by the fighting men of World War II or Korea.

Until the latest of our world conflicts, the United States had no armaments industry. American makers of plowshares could, with time and as required, make swords as well. But now we can no longer risk emergency improvisation of national defense; we have been compelled to create a permanent armaments industry of vast proportions. Added to this, three and a half million men and women are directly engaged in the defense establishment. We annually spend on military security more than the net income of all United States corporations.

This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence -- economic, political, even spiritual -- is felt in every city, every State house, every office of the Federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society.

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the militaryindustrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.

We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.

Akin to, and largely responsible for the sweeping changes in our industrial-military posture, has been the technological revolution during recent decades.

In this revolution, research has become central; it also becomes more formalized, complex, and costly. A steadily increasing share is conducted for, by, or at the direction of, the Federal government.

Today, the solitary inventor, tinkering in his shop, has been overshadowed by task forces of scientists in laboratories and testing fields. In the same fashion, the free university, historically the fountainhead of free ideas and scientific discovery, has experienced a revolution in the conduct of research. Partly because of the huge costs involved, a government contract becomes virtually a substitute for intellectual curiosity. For every old blackboard there are now hundreds of new electronic computers.

The prospect of domination of the nation's scholars by Federal employment, project allocations, and the power of money is ever present

and is gravely to be regarded.
Yet, in holding scientific research and discovery in respect, as we should, we must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientifictechnological elite.

It is the task of statesmanship to mold, to balance, and to integrate these and other forces, new and old, within the principles of our democratic system -- ever aiming toward the supreme goals of our free society.

V.

Another factor in maintaining balance involves the element of time. As we peer into society's future, we -- you and I, and our government -- must avoid the impulse to live only for today, plundering, for our own ease and convenience, the precious resources of tomorrow. We cannot mortgage the material assets of our grandchildren without risking the loss also of their political and spiritual heritage. We want democracy to survive for all generations to come, not to become the insolvent phantom of tomorrow.

VI.

Down the long lane of the history yet to be written America knows that this world of ours, ever growing smaller, must avoid becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate, and be instead, a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect.

Such a confederation must be one of equals. The weakest must come to the conference table with the same confidence as do we, protected as we are by our moral, economic, and military strength. That table, though scarred by many past frustrations, cannot be abandoned for the certain agony of the battlefield.

Disarmament, with mutual honor and confidence, is a continuing imperative. Together we must learn how to compose differences, not with arms, but with intellect and decent purpose. Because this need is so sharp and apparent I confess that I lay down my official responsibilities in this field with a definite sense of disappointment. As one who has witnessed the horror and the lingering sadness of war -- as one who knows that another war could utterly destroy this civilization which has been so slowly and painfully built over thousands of years -- I wish I could say tonight that a lasting peace is in sight.

Happily, I can say that war has been avoided. Steady progress toward our ultimate goal has been made. But, so much remains to be done. As a private citizen, I shall never cease to do what little I can to help the world advance along that road.

VII.

So -- in this my last good night to you as your President -- I thank you for the many opportunities you have given me for public service in war and peace. I trust that in that service you find some things worthy; as for the rest of it, I know you will find ways to improve performance in the future.

You and I -- my fellow citizens -- need to be strong in our faith that all nations, under God, will reach the goal of peace with justice. May we be ever unswerving in devotion to principle, confident but humble with power, diligent in pursuit of the Nation's great goals.

To all the peoples of the world, I once more give expression to America's prayerful and continuing aspiration:

We pray that peoples of all faiths, all races, all nations, may have their great human needs satisfied; that those now denied opportunity shall come to enjoy it to the full; that all who yearn for freedom may experience its spiritual blessings; that those who have freedom will understand, also, its heavy responsibilities; that all who are insensitive to the needs of others will learn charity; that the scourges of poverty, disease and ignorance will be made to disappear from the earth, and that, in the goodness of time, all peoples will come to live together in a peace guaranteed by the binding force of mutual respect and love.​

 

[Mask]

these cats just playing with them tax dollars

 

[thoughtone]

source: http://chickasawpicklesmell.blogspot.com/2009/01/uss-george-hw-bush-obsolete-before-it.html

Saturday, January 10, 2009
The U.S.S. George H.W. Bush: Obsolete before it ever leaves port

Norfolk, Virginia--Costing over $6 billion before all the other fittings and aircraft, the U.S.S. George H.W. Bush was not applauded as it was commissioned today in the presence of its namesake, his mentally retarded son and his family, President Dick Cheney, and the largest gathering of Village People fans in human history.

The gathered dignitaries were applauding themselves and the fact that they were still bilking the American public for defense contractors and corporations everywhere, their latest contribution coming in the form of a now-obsolete weapons platform, the aircraft carrier.

Why is the aircraft carrier obsolete? The U.S.S. George H.W. Bush is the last of ten in the "Nimitz" "supercarrier" class, the kind of hulking behemoth that was rendered useless the moment the Enola Gay dropped its payload on Hiroshima to keep Soviet influence off of the Japanese mainland. Subsequent weapons platforms have made the obsolescence of the aircraft carrier a strange part of the arsenals of many nations, but it's good for the gander. Like the former president it's named after, the U.S.S. George H.W. Bush is part of a dying order, a hangover left to us from the WWII generation.

What's so remarkable is that the ship isn't even finished, but far be it for the Bush dynasty not to have an occasion to cry for themselves, never mind their victims. All that said, naming a boat after just one more executive war criminal and systematic human rights violator doesn't seem such a bad idea, since it's emblematic of the dead-end of a militarized society and economy. War and the unleashing of violence by the Bush dynasty have been its hallmarks, it's history, and a big part of America's history in general. Naming it after a washed-up warmonger with his draft-dodging son present in his last days as president has all the airs of reality parodying itself. How Bush of them.

When the U.S.S. George H.W. Bush is finally torpedoed, sunk by a low-yield nuclear device, or simply destroyed when it's anchored in port, nobody's going to care. When there's no more money to help the American public in an unprecedented economic crisis, it's going to be because of the frivolous spending on worthless weapons systems like this one, and the wars in the Middle East.

It would behoove the incoming president-elect to shutter these types of programs that are currently in the developmental stage, such as the longstanding "Star Wars" (aka "Missile Defense Shield Part I") space defense program that scientists have told us "does not work, and will never work" for over twenty years. The Star Wars program has cost an estimated $107 billion since the 1980s, just one more gift from Ronald Reagan and his cohorts, many of whom will be leaving and entering the White House after January 20, 2009.

The Bush II administration increased spending on the Star Wars program by 20% during its tenure. It's unlikely that a President Barack Obama will end the program--or others like it--however, because nothing succeeds like failure. But, with money running as short as it's appearing to be, he and Congress might have no other alternative. The Senate can enable all it wants, and the GOP incumbents in it can obstruct all they want, but eventually that wall called reality is going to rear its ugly head. The horse and pony show will be over. That time is coming very soon.

 

[monsterman]

Someone needs to tell the Pentagon that Star Trek shit is gonna have to wait. Get them troops out of Iraq!
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[thoughtone]

Now this shit has got to stop! The defense contractors have been raping the treasury for decades!

source: New York Times

Obama Confronts a Choice on Copters

WASHINGTON — President Obama has slammed high-flying executives traveling in cushy jets at a time of economic turmoil. But soon he will have to decide whether to proceed with some of the priciest aircraft in the world — a new fleet of 28 Marine One helicopters that will each cost more than the last Air Force One.

A six-year-old project to build state-of-the-art presidential helicopters has bogged down in a contracting quagmire that will challenge Mr. Obama’s desire to rein in military contracting expenses. The price tag has nearly doubled, production has fallen years behind schedule and much of the program has been frozen until the new administration figures out what to do about it.

The choice confronting Mr. Obama encapsulates the tension between two imperatives of his nascent presidency, the need to meet the continuing threats of an age of terrorism and the demand for austerity in a period of economic hardship.

Equipped to deflect missile attacks and capable of waging war from the air, the new VH-71 helicopters would fly farther, faster and more safely than the current decades-old craft. But each improvement pushes up the cost. The program’s original $6.1 billion contract has ballooned to $11.2 billion, and the Pentagon notified Congress last month that it was so far over budget that the law required a review. The Obama administration now must determine if the project is essential to national security and if there are alternatives that would cost less.

For Mr. Obama, the program is one more inheritance from the Bush administration, which began the effort after the Sept. 11 attacks generated concern about whether presidential helicopters from the 1970s were up to the challenge of terrorist threats. President George W. Bush spent Sept. 11 aboard Air Force One, reinforcing the need for up-to-date communications and security for a president at all times.

“If the office of the presidency is vulnerable, then the country is vulnerable,” said Representative Joe Sestak of Pennsylvania, a Democrat and a retired Navy vice admiral. “However, the nation is crying for accountability, from Wall Street to Congress to Iraq.”

Asked about it in last year’s campaign, Mr. Obama promised to “take a close look” at the program, adding that it was “a lot of money, even in Washington.” The White House had no comment last week, but Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary, said Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates was rethinking the VH-71 and other projects that were “having execution problems.”

“We’re prepared to make some hard choices,” Mr. Morrell said.

At stake is the future of the iconic white-topped helicopters that take off from the South Lawn of the White House. Those helicopters have become a symbol of presidential power, etched in the public mind, perhaps most indelibly on the day President Richard M. Nixon resigned in 1974 and flashed a double-V salute before retreating aboard one of the choppers to begin his long exile.

Presidents have had helicopters at their disposal since 1957, when Dwight D. Eisenhower grew irritated at how long it took in a crisis to get from a New England vacation to an airport. The current fleet of 19 aircraft includes 11 Sikorsky VH-3D Sea Kings and 8 VH-60N Black Hawks, some of which have been flying presidents for up to 35 years.

When a president is aboard one of the helicopters it goes by the radio call sign Marine One. The helicopters typically ferry a president from the White House to Andrews Air Force Base or Camp David, usually accompanied by one or two helicopters carrying staff members and serving as decoys. Helicopters are also sometimes airlifted to the president’s stops around the world for shorter-range flights.

Andrew H. Card Jr., Mr. Bush’s White House chief of staff, grew exasperated in 2002 by helicopter mechanical problems and instigated the development of an ultramodern replacement. The Pentagon awarded a contract in 2005 to Lockheed Martin, even though it had never built helicopters, reasoning that a three-engine model produced by its British-Italian partner, called the EH-101, provided a useful foundation.

In doing so, the Pentagon bypassed Sikorsky Aircraft, the contractor since the Eisenhower era. Representative Rosa DeLauro, a Democrat from Connecticut, where Sikorsky is based, said she believed the Bush administration wanted to reward Britain and Italy for support in Iraq. “I think this was a way of saying, ‘We understand what you did for us; now we’re trying to do something for you,’ ” she said.

The Bush administration denied that. But as the White House tried to effectively replicate Air Force One in helicopter form, it soon became clear that modifying the EH-101 was much more complicated than anticipated. The new armored 64-foot-long presidential helicopter had to carry 14 passengers and thousands of pounds of secure communications equipment and be able to jam seeking devices, fend off missiles and resist some of the electromagnetic effects of a nuclear blast.

The VH-71 project was divided into two increments, a quick first batch of five new helicopters with the same or better equipment as the current fleet, to be followed by 23 much more sophisticated craft that would ultimately take over flying the president, the vice president and the defense secretary, among others.

Lockheed has made progress on the first increment, having built four test models and three of the helicopters that will eventually be used. Those aircraft are supposed to be delivered by the end of 2010. But the Pentagon issued a stop-work order at the end of 2007 on the second increment as costs continued to rocket upward. Divided by 28 helicopters, the overall cost works out to $400 million per aircraft, roughly the same as the $410 million that the government paid in 1990 for the latest two Air Force One jetliners plus a hangar.

“What you had here was a collision between the urgency of the White House and the rules of the Navy’s acquisition,” said Loren B. Thompson, the head of the Lexington Institute, a research organization that provides advice to Lockheed and other defense contractors. “The White House wanted to field a helicopter much faster, and the Navy wanted to make sure it met all of the rules for a safe helicopter.

“It doesn’t sound irreconcilable,” he continued, “but in the end, it caused a lot of cost growth.”

The notice to Congress last month means the program must now be recertified by Mr. Gates to proceed. Ms. DeLauro and other members of the Connecticut delegation wrote the Navy last week asking it to consider reopening the bidding on the contract or turning part of it over to Sikorsky. Critics said Mr. Obama should pull the plug. “The VH-71 is a waste of time, money and resources,” said Lt. Col. Gene T. Boyer, a retired Army pilot who flew three presidents, including Nixon on the flight after his resignation.

Mr. Sestak said the project underscored the larger failure to accurately assess the cost of military projects in advance and urged Mr. Obama to tackle the problem.

“If he puts the right accountability system in there — not monitoring but enforcement — then I think he can say rightly that the fleet is not for Mr. Obama, it is for the presidency,” Mr. Sestak said.

 

[African Herbsman]

Offense spending needs to be cut by 50%.

 

[Spectrum]

Offense spending needs to be cut by 50%.

great way to redefine it...nice...just that small change really puts into perspective....the power of words

 

[QueEx]

`

When is offense, not defense ???
Redefined; but, perhaps, unrefined.

QueEx

 

[actinanass]

Hey how about this, LETS DISARM THE MILITARY ALL TOGETHER???!?!?

Since we do not have ANY enemies in the world.

We can spend all the tax payers money on....BIRTH CONTROL REFORM!!!!!

how about that EVERYONE??!?!?

*of course you know I'm being sarcastic!!*

 

[QueEx]

Hey how about this, LETS DISARM THE MILITARY ALL TOGETHER???!?!?

Since we do not have ANY enemies in the world.

We can spend all the tax payers money on....BIRTH CONTROL REFORM!!!!!

how about that EVERYONE??!?!?

*of course you know I'm being sarcastic!!*

Is this designed to discuss the relative merits; or just evoke an equally rash response ? ? ?

QueEx

 

[thoughtone]

Hey how about this, LETS DISARM THE MILITARY ALL TOGETHER???!?!?

Since we do not have ANY enemies in the world.

We can spend all the tax payers money on....BIRTH CONTROL REFORM!!!!!

how about that EVERYONE??!?!?

*of course you know I'm being sarcastic!!*

The greatest military power the world has ever seen. We spent more on weapons than just about every other country combined. And yet we have a difficult time subduing a bunch of rag, tag third world village fighters. Republicans are suppose to be good at saying just throwing money at a problem will not solve it. The bloated miltary budget for the most part is just making a select few rich.

 

[actinanass]

Is this designed to discuss the relative merits; or just evoke an equally rash response ? ? ?

QueEx

i mean no one talks about all the money that goes into a bankrupt system called SOCIAL SECURITY. So, yea I guess its designed to discuss the "merits" of Thoughts story...

 

[actinanass]

The greatest military power the world has ever seen. We spent more on weapons than just about every other country combined. And yet we have a difficult time subduing a bunch of rag, tag third world village fighters. Republicans are suppose to be good at saying just throwing money at a problem will not solve it. The bloated miltary budget for the most part is just making a select few rich.

The only part of government that truly works is the military. So, lets cut the military by 90 percent, and put all of that money into failed government programs to make everyone happy. I mean our enemies are just RAG TAG third world countries..... We can afford to do that. Lets use all of that money for the programs like......BIRTH CONTROL. Yeah, that sounds like a good plan don't you agree THOUGHT. I bet your side would be happy that we put all that money on a program that only 10 percent of the population would use. That 10 percent is better than protecting 100 percent of the population right?

Thought is a fucking genius!!!!

 

[QueEx]

i mean no one talks about all the money that goes into a bankrupt system called SOCIAL SECURITY. So, yea I guess its designed to discuss the "merits" of Thoughts story...

Hey Hoss, social security isn't welfare; the PEOPLE contribute their hard earned money to that system. If its bankrupt, it needs to be fixed, otherwise, the government will have done to its subjects the same thing that the big banks, mortgage companies and financial institutions have done to them.

QueEx

 

[actinanass]

Hey Hoss, social security isn't welfare; the PEOPLE contribute their hard earned money to that system. If its bankrupt, it needs to be fixed, otherwise, the government will have done to its subjects the same thing that the big banks, mortgage companies and financial institutions have done to them.

QueEx

You're missing my point.

The point is that social security is bloated just like defense spending. BTW, I never call social security welfare. I called it a broken system, in which, no politician actually wants to fix. Democrats don't wanna fix it, and republicans can't fix it.

 

[Lamarr]

Interesting, IMO, Social Security is the ultimate Ponzi scheme, bigger than Madoff's. It only survives as long as you have new workers contributing so those at the top can benefit. Eventually, it will cave under its own pressure. An extremely tough subject!

AAA, we could cut military spending 80% and still have the ultimate fighting force on the planet. The military industrial complex is raping the system. What happened to: we should have a humble foreign policy, no nation-building, don't police the world?

Bring our kids home now, stop makin' these bankers rich, afterall, they are the only ones who profit from war. peace

 

[actinanass]

Interesting, IMO, Social Security is the ultimate Ponzi scheme, bigger than Madoff's. It only survives as long as you have new workers contributing so those at the top can benefit. Eventually, it will cave under its own pressure. An extremely tough subject!

AAA, we could cut military spending 80% and still have the ultimate fighting force on the planet. The military industrial complex is raping the system. What happened to: we should have a humble foreign policy, no nation-building, don't police the world?

Bring our kids home now, stop makin' these bankers rich, afterall, they are the only ones who profit from war. peace

Well, cut the military. I mean since it SPENDS SO MUCH MONEY. How about this, make it world wide news that we are going to sell most of our military equipment for the highest bitter too!!! That could pay for this bullshit stimulus bill that just got passed. Then ban assault rifles while your at it.

 

[Lamarr]

Well, cut the military. I mean since it SPENDS SO MUCH MONEY. How about this, make it world wide news that we are going to sell most of our military equipment for the highest bitter too!!! That could pay for this bullshit stimulus bill that just got passed. Then ban assault rifles while your at it.

AAA, thats why the Bush tax cuts didn't work, the govt was spending more money than they were recieving. Sadly, Obama is following in his footsteps. I didn't say anything about selling equipment, I'm just saying Stop The Spending! And don't touch my 2nd Amendment!

 

[GET YOU HOT]

Someone needs to tell the Pentagon that Star Trek shit is gonna have to wait. Get them troops out of Iraq!

Out of Iraq and into Afganistan, wtf???

Talks of dedicating up to 30,ooo more troops by end of summer.

Hold onto your seat...

 

[thoughtone]

Well, cut the military. I mean since it SPENDS SO MUCH MONEY. How about this, make it world wide news that we are going to sell most of our military equipment for the highest bitter too!!! That could pay for this bullshit stimulus bill that just got passed. Then ban assault rifles while your at it.

Your wing nut sarcasm is actual prophetic. Who do you think is the worlds largest weapons seller is? I'll give you one guess, no for you actinanass I better give you two! Hint, it was the country that gave military aid to Iran and Iraq during their war against each other in the 1980s.

...see how absurd our foreign policy has been over the last 50 years?

 

[Bain316]

Because "They" The Bankers took their money out of circulation and from the banks!

 

[actinanass]

AAA, thats why the Bush tax cuts didn't work, the govt was spending more money than they were recieving. Sadly, Obama is following in his footsteps. I didn't say anything about selling equipment, I'm just saying Stop The Spending! And don't touch my 2nd Amendment!

but lamarr, don't you know that ASSAULT RIFLES kill innocent people!!!!! Who said anything about Bush tax cuts? I'm saying that we need to sell our military to pay for this bullshit stimulus bill. Lets give Thought's side what they want. I mean the only countries that we are fighting are some "rag tag" type countries. We don't need to spend money on a large military anymore. Lets cut the military, and sell our equipment for the highest bidder. Then, get an assault rifle ban back in order. Wouldn't that keep CRIMINALS off the streets Lamarr?


*doesn't that sound so smart? This is how ya'll arguments sound like to me!!!*

 

[actinanass]

Your wing nut sarcasm is actual prophetic. Who do you think is the worlds largest weapons seller is? I'll give you one guess, no for you actinanass I better give you two! Hint, it was the country that gave military aid to Iran and Iraq during their war against each other in the 1980s.

...see how absurd our foreign policy has been over the last 50 years?

ok, my side was wrong!!! Get rid of the military, and use the money that we pay the military for little pet projects like STD prevention. Our military is corrupt, and needs to be dismantled!!!! Lets do what THOUGHT wants to do. Since Thought is smarter than every politician since KENNEDY!!!!!

 

[Lamarr]

but lamarr, don't you know that ASSAULT RIFLES kill innocent people!!!!! Who said anything about Bush tax cuts? I'm saying that we need to sell our military to pay for this bullshit stimulus bill.

If you want to cut taxes, you must cut spending. Cutting spending in the military is a start. We're spending Trillions on the American Empire imposing democracy, at the barrel of a gun. And its all at the expense of the taxpayer and our civil liberties. Don't you remember: those that sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither.

 

[actinanass]

If you want to cut taxes, you must cut spending. Cutting spending in the military is a start. We're spending Trillions on the American Empire imposing democracy, at the barrel of a gun. And its all at the expense of the taxpayer and our civil liberties. Don't you remember: those that sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither.

Dude, thought got the best ideas. Follow him!!!

I'm telling you that we need to sell ALL our military equipment, so we can quit imposing everyone. I'm agreeing with you!!!!! Our "empire" is the true terrorist. So, to end terrorism, we need to stop funding our military. Better yet, lets get rid of law enforcement too because they "impose" their will on our civil liberties!!! Lets do everything you want to do Lamarr. I mean you do know more than we do about this right?

 

[thoughtone]

Dude, thought got the best ideas. Follow him!!!

I'm telling you that we need to sell ALL our military equipment, so we can quit imposing everyone. I'm agreeing with you!!!!! Our "empire" is the true terrorist. So, to end terrorism, we need to stop funding our military. Better yet, lets get rid of law enforcement too because they "impose" their will on our civil liberties!!! Lets do everything you want to do Lamarr. I mean you do know more than we do about this right?

One solution would be to make Fort Hood about 50% of what it is. The largest military installation in the free world and the largest single local location employer in Texas. So much government handouts.

 

[actinanass]

One solution would be to make Fort Hood about 50% of what it is. The largest military installation in the free world and the largest single local location employer in Texas. So much government handouts.

man thought, u are soo smart! I wish I could of thought of that myself....

 

[thoughtone]

man thought, u are soo smart! I wish I could of thought of that myself....

I see you have run out of arguments. Mate!