US Contractors Eye Gains From Polish Shield Deal

[Purveyor]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Poland's agreement to host part of a U.S. missile shield for Europe should generate significant sales for American defense contractors, but critics say the whole effort amounts to a multibillion-dollar sham.

The United States has spent more than $120 billion on missile defenses over the past 25 years since former president Ronald Reagan's famous "Star Wars" speech in 1983.

The new system in Europe, which includes 10 interceptor rockets in Poland and a sophisticated radar complex in the Czech Republic, should cost another $4 billion over the next few years, according to the U.S. Missile Defense Agency.

Cost overruns typical in nearly every U.S. defense program could easily drive the price higher, said some defense analysts and critics of the missile defense program.

While details of any specific contract awards must still be worked out, the deal will clearly result in additional work for U.S. defense companies at a time when U.S. defense spending is expected to begin to level off.

But missile defense critics, including the former top U.S. weapons tester, Philip Coyle, say all that spending has produced scant progress.

The missile defense program has generated "a lot of profits for defense contractors ... but no real addition to U.S. security," said John Isaacs, who heads the Washington-based Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/feedarticle/7740548

[AlphaCentauri]

1. Another failure of capitalism

subsidizing big business

[Ian David]

2. I own stock in one of the companies, and I'll still admit it's a scam.

But the company probably needs the money to fund their mission to mine an asteroid.

[Canuckistanian]

3. Pissing off the Russians while making a profit

A proud Republican tradition since 1980.

[sakabatou]

4. The contractors are like wolves waiting for the slaughter

[jwirr]

5. Ah *ss's motive for pushing a plan that does not work! PROFIT.

[Hugabear]

6. Why do they keep pushing a plan that has a 0% success rate?

To my knowledge, not a single "Star Wars" test has succeeded, yet they keep throwing money down that black hole.