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Originally posted by Hubris Boy
Crusader is another one of those government projects that continues to stagger forward, zombie-like, despite anyone's best efforts to kill it. They've already spent over ten years and $11 billion developing this damn thing and it STILL isn't operational.
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I was caught completely flat footed by the Crusader because it was not worthy of study and totally irrelevant to the needs of current and future military. Even George Jr campaigned for president against this program. And yet, in the tradition of the B1 and B2 bombers - both also useless even ten years after purchased - this Crusader lives on as a tribute to legalized bribery of politicians.
Accurately noted is that Crusader is a weapon for armored warfare. That type of war ended with the Gulf. The army currently needs highly armed, light, fast equipment. That is what the military is so short of. The 101st Airborne and 10th Mountain Division are all but exhausted. We don't have enough of these units that desperately require supply, transport, and new, light weapons. The Crusader is everything that all military services - domestic and foreign friendly - don't want.
What country is going to mount a concentrated, heavy armour attack? Where do we find countries with the equipment to perform same? Israel. Are we planning to attack the Holy Land?
No. Our military's best weapons against armour include what is probably the best aircraft in the Air Force - as proven in the Gulf War - the A10 Warthog. What is the best aircraft in the Air Force over Afganistan? Puff the Magic Dragon - a modified C-130. That is the weapon that small, light, fast, well equipted professional military always wants.
Read detailed non-fiction on military equipment and strategy. For example, do you read Clancy's fiction or non-fiction books. Quite obvious. The Crusader has no purpose in any current military plans. The military is more in need of air support that can remain on station, travel deeper into enemy territory, and that is integrated with ground troops. Did we not learn those lessons in Kosovo? Of course we did. Crusader would even be useless for George Jr's current plans to unilaterally attack Iraq.
Those enfatuated with big, expense, useless, wasteful weapons systems such as the B-1, B-2, Star Wars, and now another useless ABM system will love the Crusader. The military requires high proficient and well supported small units - new versions of special forces. The nation requires a Coast Guard and Customs Service that has necessary and functional equipment. Clancy defined a direct attack on the capitol even in his ficton books. Terrorists all but duplicated that attaack almost ten years later because no systems, equipment, thought, or provisions were in place to combat such attacks. Not exotic, heavy, big buck equipment. Small, light, flexible equipment to empower the small military or domestic security units. How many times do little airplanes have to crash while attacking the White House before we finally get serious about the real threats. Even a 737, during a highest state of security with F-16s in the vicinity, could fly directly over the White House without challenge.
Three cheers for politicians more interested in their convenience in National Airport than the security of the nation. How then do we expect these leaders to quash a useless weapon system?
George Jr "wisely" has increased the US military budget by $331 billion for many big weapon systems such as Crusader. That increase alone is more than the entire military budget of France, or Britian, or most every other nation. What is this nonsense? Just another reason to support those who provide legalized bribes with fat, useless, contracts such as The Crusader?
A single valid reason to build this weapon system has yet to be presented here. Just because it might fire quickly does not provide it effective or necessary. It is designed for an a military that no longer exists or is needed. The Fulma Pass, a fixed location, is not a potential battlefield. Cursader is designed so that is cannot be made available when and where the military will operate. It is a classic example of Pork and of how not to justify a weapons system.