Israelis to supply vehicles for Iraq (U.S. Marines)

[RamboLiberal]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070305/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_us_iraq

An Israeli state-owned corporation has won a contract to supply the U.S. Marine Corps with state-of the-art armored vehicles for use in Iraq, the latest in a long line of Israeli defense sales for use in the war.

Amit Tzimer, spokesman for weapons maker Rafael, said Sunday that, in partnership with U.S. manufacturer PVI, Rafael has signed up to deliver 60 of its new Golan vehicles at a total price of $37 million.

Delivery will be made to the Marines in the United States in May, he said.

Rafael's sales catalog describes the Golan as a multipurpose vehicle, capable of withstanding armor-piercing machine-gun rounds, rocket fire and bomb blasts. It can carry up to 10 troops up to 360 miles on a tank of gas and can be outfitted as a fighting vehicle, mobile command post or ambulance.

Tzimer said that the initial deal was part of the first phase of a U.S. program to procure a total of 40,000 armored vehicles, and Rafael hoped for more orders in the future.

Ticks me off that we don't produce these vehicles in the U.S. when we have steel and auto plants and their workers idle. At least if we're going to spend money on the military I think it should benenfit U.S. workers. We outsource everything!

[rodeodance]

1. and our owe factories are gone or not able to quickly produce these.

[Eugene]

2. The article suggests that PVI will build them in the US under license.

I still wonder what kind of in impression a Golan vehicle
will make to the Arabs in Iraq.

[PSPS]

3. That was my first thought, too.

But bush, long ago, scuttled any pretense of even-handedness with regard to the Israel/Palestine "problem."

[The Stranger]

5. Impressions upon the Arabs in Iraq? Forget "impressions" -- this is real.

Unbelievable.

[Purveyor]

4. A 'bounty premium' will be placed on these vehicle and their occupants

once they arrive on Iraqi soil.

Any israeli troops to go along with these vehicles?

I didn't think so...

[Porcupine]

6. Golan APC $450K, Iraqi EFP $35.........

The look on the Iraqi insurgents face when he cracks an Israeli designed armored vehicle: PRICELESS!

If I were a US soldier in Iraq you couldn't cram me into one of those things at gunpoint. They will be premium targets on par with a helicopter full of brass. Survival in Iraq is a matter of not standing out from the crowd; this won't do it.

[barb162]

7. Since Iraqis can tell a US soldier riding down the road very easily

I doubt there will be any difference when they want to shoot at US soldiers.