US army buys 148 SA-built armoured vehicles

[leftchick]

http://www.sabcnews.com/economy/business/0,2172,98148,00.html

The US Army has placed an order for 148 South African-built armoured vehicles. A British defence internet daily said today.

The internet daily says the US Army's Communication and Electronics Command, on behalf of its Programme Manager for Close Combat Systems, has awarded General Dynamics Land Systems of Canada a contract with a potential value not to exceed R468 million for 148 RG-31 medium mine protected vehicles.

Defence Systems Daily (DSD) said included in this price was R18 million in spare parts. "Under this contract, General Dynamics Land Systems - Canada will provide the programme management and logistics support while BAE Land Systems OMC of South Africa will manufacture the vehicles," DSD reported. The contract was signed through the Canadian Commercial Corporation, a Crown Agency of the Canadian Government.

Final contract definition and pricing is expected to be completed by April 2005. Deliveries will occur from April to December 2005. Nine RG-31s were previously supplied to the US Army in 2003 and 2004 and have seen wide service. The Canadian Army has deployed three RG-31s as part of its contribution to the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.

[denverbill]

1. It's a shame all Americans already have good jobs.

If everyone didn't already have jobs, we could actually use an American company to build vehicles for American troops, rather than outsourcing the work to a third world country.

[Voltaire99]

3. Ah, but try to see what that kind of job implies.

We need jobs. Not the kind of job that leads to misery for the planet, however.

The real evil here is that the imperial military machine keeps on depleting resources and despoiling lives.

[achtung_circus]

2. I believe it's this item

<http://www.sfu.ca/casr/101-vehnyala.htm>