The United States is dropping bombs on people at such a furious rate, munitions manufacturers have been unable to keep up with demand.
“We’re expending munitions faster than we can replenish them,” Gen. Mark Welsh said, according to an article in USA Today.
With the U.S. military conducting bombing missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, and in U.S.-led Operation Inherent Resolve against the self-titled Islamic State in Syria and elsewhere, it’s no wonder weapons-makers are unable to keep up. Allies have also been making use of those munitions — Saudi Arabia employed U.S.-made bombs in Yemen when it hit and killed an ambulance driver in January.
“The U.S. maintains a pretty steady inventory of bombs and missiles for full-on war scenarios,” explained Roman Schweizer, aerospace and defense policy analyst at Guggenheim Securities to PRI. “But 2 ½ years of fighting ISIS and continued bombing in Afghanistan have exceeded weapons-use projections.”
The spike in demand for weapons of war since the attacks in Paris have sent stock prices and arms sales through the roof.
Defense industry stocks this morning following Friday night’s attacks in Paris: pic.twitter.com/8a35RcpPJ6
— Aaron Cantú (@aaron_con_leche) November 16, 2015
As PRI noted, the munitions include “laser- and GPS-guided bombs, Joint Direct Attack Munition bombs, Joint Standoff Weapons, and air-to-ground missiles, such as Hellfire,” which can cost between $25,000 and $400,000 — per unit.
“In the early days of the [Syria] campaign the Navy fired a bunch of Tomahawk cruise missiles,” Schweizer continued, “and those are in the $1 million cost range — but they’re really the higher end of what you might use if you have a contested airspace and you don’t want to put aircraft over targets.”
Speaking specifically for the fight against ISIL, Schweizer explained, “Pilots are able to get close because you are not fighting a very sophisticated — albeit a brutal — enemy, and you’re able to use shorter range- but more precision-guided munitions.”
Precision is gravely important in reducing civilian casualties, though judging by the myriad of reports, the U.S. and its allies seem to be having difficulties not killing innocent people. One startling report from October last year revealed 90 percent of those killed in drone strikes are innocent civilians.
“If we were in a state of war we’d be running three 8-hour shifts, 24 hours a day” to meet supply demands associated with war, Schweitzer said, noting Lockheed-Martin and Boeing are “ramping up” production.
Sadly, politicians use the increased demand in weapons of mass destruction as a reason to celebrate.
According to a recent report from Reuters, American cities are rejoicing over the new windfall, job creation and the economic benefits associated with increased bomb production.
The impact is palpable in Troy, Alabama, where Lockheed Martin Corp builds its 100-pound Hellfire air-to-ground missiles at a 3,863-acre highly secured facility surrounded by woods and horse pastures. Realtors are adding staff in anticipation of new hiring at the plant, and the large grocery chain Publix is opening a store soon.
“What’s good for Lockheed is good for Troy,” said Kathleen Sauer, president of the Pike County Chamber of Commerce, adding that the expansion was helping a local economy where unemployment rates are already among the lowest in the state.
“Look at our downtown,” she said. “Almost all the stores are open and we have more coming in.”
It is also important to note that the money used to finance these weapons manufacturers is taken from the public via taxation, or deferred to our children’s children through Federal Reserve debt. As the threat of World War III looms across the planet, the American taxpayers are being fleeced to build the weapons with which this world war will be carried out.
Considering the military-industrial machine always finds a way to profit from killing people, it’s likely the bomb shortage won’t be long-lived.
Claire Bernish writes for TheFreeThoughtProject.com, where this article first appeared.
America started ISIS and America is reaping the rewards…
Always be a light that is .shininginthedark.
Never ending war equals never ending profits… just wonder how the Empire would feel if the war was ever dropped on them, especially those who make the bombs
VERY ODD that ISIS never, ever, blows up D.C, when/where all the politicians are.
They are smart enough not to bite the hand that feeds, trains, pays and supplies them.
We are rebuilding the Middle East with money borrowed from China. The problem is we do not know how to play the game, Anyone explain to the other what are the rules of this game. 😉
“The United States is dropping bombs on people at such a furious rate, munitions manufacturers have been unable to keep up with demand.”
Well happily it is not this bad. Each and every bomb we drop on ISIS misses its target by EXACTLY 100 meters; thus more bombs are needed and less people are killed. Not bad for government work.
Profit, glorious profit, God bless the little mud people, for being on the ground when we need to offload some more bombs.
“There is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged warfare.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War
“Live by the sword, DIE by the sword”
America is living by the sword …… where are the voices from the Pulpits?
Ever since 9/11 the Military/BANKER/Industrial Complex has done everything it could to provoke and create MORE terrorists —- WAR PROFITEERS have to have a war going for SELF-ENRICHMENT.
“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron.” — Dwight D. Eisenhower
If banksters aren’t happy, no one’s happy.
The military industrial death machine at it’s fines. Bringing death to anyone except the real chickenshit gold collar scum that feed the machine, along with the msm spew – complete with narrative and script.
“What’s good for Lockheed is good for Troy,” said Kathleen Sauer, president of the Pike County Chamber of Commerce, …Yeah..who cares how many children are blown to bits, how many weddings are bombed, how many thousands of innocent people are killed, etc….the shithole of Troy Alabama is thriving !
No company or organization in history has raped the American taxpayers like Lockheed-Martin has and continues to.
The US taxpaying CITIZENS get almost nothing from the isralie/bankers wars or any other wars except manufacturing weapons like rosie the riveter, we die our families are destroyed along with generation after generation of our youth and poverty for the majority.
The ROMAN empire was much better form of government , they AT LEAST brought HOME things of VALUE to the Roman SUBJECTS. WE get NOTHING! A note to the senators :sharpen your daggers and show CEASER who is really in charge .
PS The Romans built much better roads and aqueducts than we do.
LET TRUMP deal with Caesar. take back the USA!
Privately owned Central Banks. Countries that didn’t have before “War on Terror… Afghanistan, Iraq, Lybia, Sudan, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Russia
Currently working on Syria. Who’s next?
Permit me to issue and control the money of a nation, and I care not who makes its laws! Amschel Mayer Rothschild
Claire Bernish is just another worthless POS puzzy loser.
And they say Gitmo is the big recruiting tool…
I am so freaking proud……….