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Re: Your tax dollars at work . . Thailand seeking U.S. tanks for $127
Subject:Re: Your tax dollars at work . . Thailand seeking U.S. tanks for $127 From:Ad absurdum per aspera <JTCHEW -at- LBL -dot- GOV> Date:Tue, 13 Sep 1994 11:40:03 -0800
{Deleted: Elaine Winters <ewinters -at- netcom -dot- com> worries about
the price of Army surplus}
Aside from questions of whether this is an appropriate venue
(followups set to alt.activism, since this has essentially
nothing to do with technical communication), there is less
cause for fiscal alarm than you thought.
The body of the article reveals that the terms of the sale
are $127 *million* for the lot, not $127 per each as the
Subject line seems to indicate. Comes out to $700k apiece
for the tank and its prorated share of the accessories and
expendables.
The M60's basic design dates back at least to the 1960s;
though still a potent weapon, it is obsolete as a major
power's first-line main battle tank. After the performance
of the M1 versus the T-72/T-80 in the Gulf War, it's hard
to imagine the US going into battle with anything less.
The M48s that it is in part replacing are thunderously
obsolete. Although modern ammunition might well be available
for them, a good hit *on* them by anything current would
probably equate to a kill. I presume that Vietnam and (in a
real fit of ambition) India would be the potential ground
threats that would make Thailand want to upgrade its tank
forces; either one could show up with comparatively modern
equipment from the former Soviet Union or the People's
Republic of China.
They also tend to, well, wear out. An M48 or even an M60A1
is undoubtedly providing more practice for mechanics than
for tank crews by now.
Cheers,
Joe
"Just another personal opinion from the People's Republic of Berkeley"
Disclaimer: Even if my employer had a position on the subject,
I probably wouldn't be the one stating it on their behalf.
