Pentagon Spent $5 Billion For Weapons On Day Before Shutdown 286
Hugh Pickens DOT Com writes "John Reed at Foreign Policy reports that the Pentagon awarded 94 contracts Monday evening on its annual end-of-the-fiscal-year spending spree, spending more than five billion dollars on everything from robot submarines to Finnish hand grenades and a radar base mounted on an offshore oil platform. To put things in perspective, the Pentagon gave out only 14 contracts on September 3, the first workday of the month. Some of the more interesting purchases from Monday's dollar-dump include the $2.5 billion award the Defense Logistics Agency gave to aircraft engine-maker Pratt & Whitney for 'various weapons system spare parts' used by the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines, $65 million for military helmets from BAE Systems, $24 million for 'traveling wave tubes' to amplify radio signals from Thales, $17 million for liquid nitrogen, $15 million for helium and $19 million on cots. The Air Force, traditionally DOD's biggest spender, was relatively restrained; it dished out only 17 contracts including $49 million to help France buy 16 MQ-9 Reaper drones, $64 million to Lockheed for help operating spy satellites that are equipped with infrared cameras, and $9 million to URS Corp. for maintenance work on the Air National Guard's fleet of RC-26B spyplanes that help domestic law enforcement agencies catch drug dealers. The air service also spent $9 million on a new gym at the Air Force Academy that includes areas for CrossFit training, space for the academy's Triathlon Club and a 'television studio.' It just goes to show, says Reed, that 'even when the federal government is shutdown and the military has temporarily lost half its civilian workforce, the Pentagon can spend money like almost no one else.'"
Re:Do I even want to know? (Score:5, Funny)
Because France is one of our allies(out oldest ally), and sometime allies negotiate deals.
If it wasn't for the French during the revolutionary war, we would all be speaking english right now.
Re:NOT News For Nerds (Score:5, Funny)
We're here for you! Group hug!
Re:Hey guys, seriously. (Score:4, Funny)
Given that the GP suggested the abolishment of currency, I'm pretty sure you're begging the question [wikipedia.org].
But begging the question is still better than begging for food.
Cheers,
Dave
Re:NOT News For Nerds (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Hey guys, seriously. (Score:4, Funny)
> Do you not understand the concept of moderation?
+1000000000 insightful