[OT] The dangers of believing mass media "journalists" when they drool on themselves while pontificating on military affairs of which they are completely ignorant, was Re: The new US Army APC the "Stinger"

> --- Scott Siebold <gamers@ameritech.net> wrote:

> I saw a broadcast on CNN about the new wheeled APC

Do you really want my opinion on CNN's level of military expertise?

> the US

Stryker, actually. Gives some indication of the validity of your source.

> 2 million (US $)

Actually that's not written in stone. Initial requirement is 714, for 6
brigade sets eventual procurement may be 5K plus. The 2100 figure is for the
entire IAV family.

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/May2001/010517-D-6570D-015.jpg

> million the new

Abrams cost $3 mil? Try $4.3 million. And that's for the M1A1, not the A2 or
the digitized version thereof. Source: FAS.

I still havn't found a source for the Stryker's cost.

> About 22 years ago the US Army and Marines were look

> I assume that this new APC is the completion of the

No, it's not. It's a new program. Try paying attention to what the Army has
been doing for the past decade or so before you babble ignorantly.

> it up

It's not too late--we didn't need nor want it during
Desert Storm. The Bradley did quite well, destroying
T-55s frontally with the cannon and T-72s with the
TOW.

> the US Army

So tell me, are you of the opinion that the LAV-25
meets the ICV requirements? Will it carry 9 men? 14.5mm AP protection with
high hard steel structure? MOdular Expandable Armor System?
Passive RPG-defeating add-on armor?

Are you really that misinformed about the LAV-25?

> At 8:55 PM -0700 6/30/02, John Atkinson wrote:

I work here and I'll agree with John here. The ex-Nato Commander
General Clark is good, but he's a Zoomie as I recall. I wish we had John Ringo
on our channel as a military commentator rather than him being over on Fox.
> Stryker, actually. Gives some indication of the

Named for a heroic soldier as typical. Too Bad Sgt York didn't work out. The
guy deserves better. Likely the army is waiting for a real CF of a system to
name after Audie Murphy.

[snip]

> Abrams cost $3 mil? Try $4.3 million. And that's for

Janes probably has something...

Well their search engine doesn't find anything under Stryker. IAV yeilds a
short blurb on the program's total cost, $4 Billion. But then we knew that
from the above posting...

http://www.janes.com/defence/land_forces/news_briefs/jdw020228_02.shtml

> At 8:55 PM -0700 6/30/02, John Atkinson wrote:
I filter the news. If it sounds stupid it is probably the reporters. If it
sounds fantastic it is probably the government (US Army in this case) PR. What
ever is left is the info the others are based on.
so    $4 billion - first iteration of money needed
        2100 - how many can be bought at price quoted (first iteration)
        $2 million per vehicle - reporters math or price of basic
version
        can go 60+ miles per hour - that's how fast the vehicle could go

on level ground in perfect condition needless to say it would be death ride in
combat what I didn't quote the problem with vehicle stopping machinegun fire
has been fixed
- I did not touch this one.

> At 11:44 PM -0500 7/1/02, Scott Siebold wrote:

My ferret does ~55mph on level ground. Up hills she's slower. I haven't had
the Dingo up to full speed yet, but I suspect it will get there as well. The
nice thing about a wheeled vehicle is that it can road march long distances
quickly where as a tracked vehicle can't do so as well on its own. If you do,
you're adjusting tracks when you get to the destination.