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The U.S. Is Dropping Bombs Faster Than It Can Make Them
Like about 90% of the news today, this would be terrific satire, if it wasn’t true.
America is dropping so many bombs on ISIS that the country is in danger of running out.“We’re expending munitions faster than we can replenish them,” said Air Force Chief of Staff General Mark Welsh. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter has asked Congress to include funding for 45,000 “smart bombs” in the Defense Department’s 2017 budget. But it could take a while to rebuild the stockpile.
“The U.S. maintains a pretty steady inventory of bombs and missiles,” says one aerospace and defense policy analyst. “But 2.5 years of fighting ISIS and continued bombing in Afghanistan have exceeded weapons-use projections.”
Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S.’ military intervention against Islamic State, strikes ISIS targets with laser- and GPS-guided bombs, Joint Direct Attack Munition bombs, Joint Standoff Weapons, and air-to-ground missiles, such as the Hellfire. Per unit price tags on these munitions range from around $25,000 to close to $400,000. In the early days of the Syrian campaign the Navy fired multiple Tomahawk cruise missiles, which go for about $1 million a piece.
But bombs away, the overall cost of the fight against Islamic State in dollars is staggering; more than $2.7 billion so far, with the average daily cost around $11 million.
Since the June 2014 start of Inherent Resolve, the U.S. and its coalition partners have flown 9,041 sorties, 5,959 in Iraq and 3,082 in Syria. More are launched every day. The U.S. claims it has killed between 10,000 and 25,000 Islamic State fighters, quite a spread, but still, if accurate (which is doubtful), at best only a couple of bad guys per bombing run.
Not particularly efficient on the face of it, but — as Obama administration officials often emphasize — this is a “long war.”
The CIA estimated Islamic State had perhaps 20,000 to 30,000 fighters under arms in 2014. So somewhere between a third of them and all of them should now be gone. Evidently not, since recent estimates of Islamic State militants remain in that 20,000 to 30,000 range as 2016 began.
Somebody in Washington better do the math on this one.
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The U.S. Is Dropping Bombs Faster Than It Can Make Them http://weme… | Roy Schestowitz - API Key Placeholder said...
1[…] U.S. Is Dropping Bombs Faster Than It Can Make Them https://wemeantwell.com/blog/2016/04/26/the-u-s-is-dropping-bombs-faster-than-it-can-make-them/ "this would be terrific satire" (not) #us #industry […]
04/26/16 6:36 AM | Comment Link
John Poole said...
2Just a thought. The USA has plenty of homeless people. Why not just start dropping them over target sites? Tell them there is a hot meal waiting in the bomb bay and also a cowboy hat. Sure, they don’t explode but a falling body is lethal to any head it lands on. Think of it as a follow up to the Soylent Green strategy.
04/26/16 7:54 AM | Comment Link
bloodypitchfork said...
3“smart bombs”
Now there’s an oxymoron if I’ve ever seen one. Sounds to me like a few should be dropped on Congress. 🙂
Ok, nuff joking.
“But bombs away, the overall cost of the fight against Islamic State in dollars is staggering; more than $2.7 billion so far, with the average daily cost around $11 million.”
Ok, sounds to me like the “smart” part of the bombs is working. ISIS is simply bankrupting us. Although, I’d say the Lords of War arms manufacturers are making a killing… pun intended.
quote”..as Obama administration officials often emphasize — this is a “long war.” unquote
Long..as in..forever. The war against “Islamic extremism” has been going on since Muhammud was enshrined as a “messiah”..for lack of a better word. I have a feeling though..if it weren’t for the threat of death to NOT accept Islam as is the case in all Muslim based societies.. I wonder how many people would choose NOT to become a Muslim? I mean..if people were “forced” to become a Christian in the US by threat of death(which is absurd)there would be a bloody civil/religious war. This is exactly why the Founders made “freedom of religion” one of the “rights”, as under English rule at the time..you HAD to accept Christianity or face death. So as long as there is a faction of humanity that wants to force us to become a Muslim..the US will fight it forever…cause the West will NEVER stop it. It’s inherent in the Islamic faith to convert the entire planet. Which means.. a war of attrition. Either they WILL bankrupt us or we will have to eradicate it.
Of course..there’s a different tactic. Leave the Mideast alone. Get out. Let it become whatever.
Of course.. The Lords of War and Oil will NEVER accept that. And neither will the drivers of Murika..
cause..cheap gas.
Oh well. As long as they stay out of my backyard. Nothin I can do about it. Might as well just get shitfaced.
Ok..nuff bla bla bla.
04/26/16 8:47 AM | Comment Link
bloodypitchfork said...
4ps.. I’ve got $25 that says the US will have 10k or more boots on the ground in the Mideast as soon as Hillary or Trump is elected. Any takers?
04/26/16 8:51 AM | Comment Link
StarkNakedTruth said...
5ps.. I’ve got $25 that says the US will have 10k or more boots on the ground in the Mideast as soon as Hillary or Trump is elected. Any takers?
I’ll see your $25 and bet you that not only will the US have (at least) 10k boots on the ground, if not more, many more fighter plane squadrons and all of their support staffing will have re-deployed to the region, too.
War, ad nausea.
04/26/16 10:51 AM | Comment Link
teri said...
6Wait’ll we start in on China and Russia. In a serious fashion, I mean.
That will be some major jack for the munitions manufacturers.
So next time you see a homeless person, an elderly person who didn’t get a SS cost of living increase again this year, or a child crying because he’s hungry here in the grand old US of A, tell him/her that you are grateful for his sacrifice. Let’s also acknowledge those who drive on shitty roads, drink toxic waste in their water, and the ones who go to schools with no books. We can’t be expected to take care of them while there are countries to blow up. There are only so many dollars and we must prioritize. Everyone has to do his part. Take it on the chin for the war effort and be proud to have made sacrifices in even this humble fashion.
The Pentagon will be coming around soon enough for your sons and daughters so they can serve in a more pro-active way. One way or another, you can rest assured you and they will die for a cause. You are an American; war is what we do.
04/26/16 1:26 PM | Comment Link
teri said...
7Oh, and you can daydream about universal healthcare (socialized medicine, medicare for all) here in the US, while pondering how the people of Israel have free healthcare because we cover all their military expenses for them, leaving their budget freed up to pay for nicer things for their own citizens.
“The White House has signaled readiness to boost military aid to Israel to a historic high, after a letter signed by 83 Senators advocated for the increase. Aid to Israel currently accounts for more than half the total US military aid budget. […[”
https://www.rt.com/usa/341013-usa-military-aid-israel/
04/26/16 1:57 PM | Comment Link
Rich Bauer said...
8Teri: “The Pentagon will be coming around soon enough for your sons and daughters so they can serve in a more pro-active way.’
Yes, it will. Whether they are living abroad or “safe” in their homes.
https://theintercept.com/drone-papers/the-assassination-complex/
04/26/16 2:36 PM | Comment Link
Bruce said...
9It takes many to surreptitiously decimate Syria under pretense of ISIS : US (CIA & Company)!
04/26/16 2:41 PM | Comment Link
John Poole said...
10I think it is best to drop the term “American” better to use servants of Israel. We alienate all the non Jews in the Middle East with our unquestioning obedience to Israel. The baffling thing is- and I’m looking for an answer here- what do we get from Israel besides nothing?
04/26/16 6:46 PM | Comment Link
teri said...
11John,
Israel has only two exports: security-related measures and paranoia. We buy both from them in abundance and in fact may be their only clients. That’s what we get from them.
Of course, they also support the current enemy-de-jour, ISIS, by buying their oil and nurturing their wounded back to health; I’m sure the brass in Washington think that Israel’s help in keeping the War of Terror going is good return on our coin. How could we continue justifying this “war” without our best friend and ally helping to keep the enemy in the field?
04/27/16 5:09 AM | Comment Link
John Poole said...
12Teri. And we’re also shrewd enough to not station troops or have launching facilities in Israel. That would be awkward. We seem to have miliary bases just about everywhere in the Middle East except Israel. Pretty clever.
04/27/16 7:38 AM | Comment Link
Links 27/4/2016: A Lot About OpenStack, Vivaldi 1.1 Released | Techrights said...
13[…] The U.S. Is Dropping Bombs Faster Than It Can Make Them […]
04/27/16 7:58 AM | Comment Link
Rich Bauer said...
14Bombs away: Total cost of F-35 program, $1.45 trillion, could provide free college to every student in the U.S. for 20 years and every homeless person of real nice house.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/11/military-jet-spending_n_5575045.html
04/27/16 9:35 AM | Comment Link
Rich Bauer said...
15Remember when the Pentagon would buy the $600 toilet seat? That was cheap.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/10/26/f-35-helmet-costs-400000-4-times-predecessor/74650574/
04/27/16 10:00 AM | Comment Link