Article

2021-02-03 Government

Top Marine General: We Need to Get Comfortable with 'Throwaway' Equipment

[Mil.com] The U.S. military flies and maintains decades-old planes and helicopters -- sometimes well beyond the planned years of service for the aircraft.

But as the Defense Department works to counter fast-paced military advancements from China and Russia, it needs to think differently about investments, Marine Commandant Gen. David Berger said Tuesday.

"The path we have been on, which we could afford to be on because we were not paced by anybody else -- everything was manned, everything at the most exquisite and highest level of capabilities that technology could give us -- [worked] because we didn't have a peer adversary," Berger said at the National Defense Industrial Association's virtual conference. "We're going to have to get comfortable with throwaway things."

Posted by Besoeker 2021-02-03 02:12|| || Front Page|| [16 views ] Top

#1 Biden and the Progressives believe in throwaway troops instead.

Posted by Deadeye Jaiting7534 2021-02-03 03:55|| 2021-02-03 03:55|| Front Page Top

#2 Aren't they called "Bullets"?

Posted by Snineling Flotle8716 2021-02-03 04:26|| 2021-02-03 04:26|| Front Page Top

#3 Gee General what you are advocating doesn't fit with the new "Green Deal Agenda", remember we must recycle, reduce our carban foot print, be respectful to the environment of mother Gaia.
We can only assume (making an ass of u and me) that you did not get the memo.

/sarc

Posted by One Rock 2021-02-03 06:22|| 2021-02-03 06:22|| Front Page Top

#4 The MIC dream - every weapon expensive as hell and needs replaced after one use.

Posted by M. Murcek 2021-02-03 07:37|| 2021-02-03 07:37|| Front Page Top

#5 Sure, as soon as they get the bugs out of the F-35 3D- printer software.

Posted by Mercutio 2021-02-03 07:59|| 2021-02-03 07:59|| Front Page Top

#6 I actually proposed 'kamikaze' drones 20 years ago. Back then for a few hundred dollars one could buy a radio-controlled model plane and equip it with a camera, transmitter and explosive charge so I figured the military could do the same for a few thousand dollars.

Posted by Glenmore 2021-02-03 11:10|| 2021-02-03 11:10|| Front Page Top

#7 Soon to put out applications for work in some defense company.

Posted by 49 Pan 2021-02-03 11:30|| 2021-02-03 11:30|| Front Page Top

#8 *OR* he could be restating that our "Risk Averse Culture" is making demands on military procurement that are idiotic.
--see also Rand Simberg's Safe Is Not An Option on how risk aversion has hamstrung NASA.

Posted by magpie 2021-02-03 14:04|| 2021-02-03 14:04|| Front Page Top

#9 The problem with fielding mediocre weapons is that they become targets for better weapons. Where to scrimp? Sensors? Performance? Reliability? Exploiting small performance differences is how you win.

As it's been said before, "You go first General."

Posted by Ebbuck Uloluling2068 2021-02-03 15:02|| 2021-02-03 15:02|| Front Page Top

#10 LCS?

Posted by james 2021-02-03 17:26|| https://idontknowbut.blogspot.com 2021-02-03 17:26|| Front Page Top

#11 Glenmore: More than twenty years ago I was beating the drum for the elimination of piloted planes. I wanted no more McCains

Posted by b 2021-02-03 18:07|| 2021-02-03 18:07|| Front Page Top

#12 Aren't those called cruise missiles?

Posted by Slappy 2021-02-03 19:26|| 2021-02-03 19:26|| Front Page Top

#13 as the Defense Department works to counter fast-paced military advancements from China and Russia,

Maybe we could play the Russia card against China and double our advantage-- without wasting trillions on systems that are easily matched when it's one-against-two. Just a thought.

Posted by Spetch Spawn of the Poles1440 2021-02-03 21:22|| 2021-02-03 21:22|| Front Page Top

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