The Marines' new Jeep

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

I'm trying to imagine, for example, what happens if a roadside bomb explodes nearby each vehicle? Could the Jeep keep driving? Or would its axle have been torn in half? Maybe the Growler would be out of commission too though, I don't know.

The jeep would be vaporized... and so would this piece of shit.

Because of their light armor and ammunition safety problems, "you can't run it up the highway in an urban area such as Iraq," said John Garner, the Marines' program manager for the vehicle. "But it could accompany foot-mobile Marine infantry in a not-built-up area such as Afghanistan," he added.

looks to me like I could stop this "Growler" with a damn slingshot... shoot the unprotected driver.

Originally Posted by ZenGum

Remember, with anything military, every single component must meet certain specifications. At what torque will this bolt stip its thread? At what temperature will the tires melt? Can the windscreen wipers clear rain falling at 20mm per hour while driving at 45 mph into a 50 knot headwind? The army wants to know exactly what its gear can do.

All of these specs must first be decided - what temp the tires must be able to handle. Then the tires have to developed and manufactured to be able to handle it. Then they need to be tested and certified. The certifying company needs to be licenced. Security checks must be done on the staff involved. Etc etc etc. I'd say that the jeep as pictured costs about 50K, as per Glatt's guess, and the other 150K is for the paperwork.

Yes, that's true. What we have is a standard procedure for buying hundreds of M-1 Tanks, dozens of F-22 fighter planes or less that 100 of these little pisspot imitation jeeps.

But why does this thing need power steering and power brakes? We're talking Marines here folks. And why can't the same model that pulls the gun, be used for reconnaissance? Probably because when you're sitting around making cost be damned wish lists, it sounded like a good idea.

What's telling, is that the people that should be preventing this bullshit saying, what's the problem, this always happens. Well they're right, it does, but it shouldn't and it's got to be stopped or we'll be broke and the military won't have what they need. Not either/or, both!

On a lighter note, the new Presidential helicopter... you remember, over 6 billion for 28 choppers... is now projected to be almost 12 billion. Anybody want a side bet it'll double again?

[ZenGum]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Probably because when you're sitting around making cost be damned wish lists, it sounded like a good idea.

Good point.

For comparison, the base model Humvee cost around $65,000. The fully armoured version will be around $150,000.

So, we are agreed, the growler an overpriced piece of crap.

The real question, though, is whether the civilian crossover version will either pull chicks or look badass in the ghetto.


FAIL.