Marines to restrict spending on ground combat equipment as costs soar

[unhappycamper]

Marines to restrict spending on ground combat equipment as costs soar
By Roxana Tiron - 11/16/10 07:44 PM ET

The Marine Corps is seeking to restrict the money it spends on ground combat equipment because of ballooning costs over the last decade.

The Marines have a range of only $2.5 billion to $3 billion to buy ground equipment, said Lt. Gen. George Flynn, the head of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command, which is tasked with ensuring that the forces are combat-ready.

Meanwhile, the price of ground equipment has become “exponentially more expensive,” Flynn said at a breakfast with defense reporters on Tuesday.

The cost of individual Marine equipment kits has shot up from $1,500 per Marine eight years ago to about $7,500 today. A Humvee in the 1990s cost between $50,000 and $60,000, but any light tactical vehicle to replace the battle-tested Humvee would cost as much as $400,000, Flynn explained.

The spike in costs comes in part from the need to outfit vehicles with technologies to protect the force as well as with advanced communications technology that has an insatiable need for power — another expensive proposition.

[mmonk]

1. It's all a racket but I wouldn't start the cuts on the ground level.

I would start in closing down foreign bases in non combat areas and concentrate cutting large weapons systems and projects.

[madokie]

2. For the most part the whole world should be a no combat zone

wouldn't ya think

[mmonk]

5. That would be nice.

[old mark]

3. Since the Marine Corps's main function IS grond combat, this can only result

in more dead Marines. Good equipment and training saves lives in combat.

mark

[w8liftinglady]

4. that's exactly what I was thinking...back to 2003,when the powers that be

could give a shit about troop safety...
Operation Helmet should have never had to exist

http://www.operation-helmet.org/