US Buying 172 Million Rounds of Ammunition for Iraqi Army and Police

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.iraqslogger.com/index.php/post/3191/US_Buying_170M_Rounds_of_Ammo_for_Iraqis

Ammo Destined for Iraqi Army, Police: 92M AK-47, 40M Glock, 40M PKM, 20K RPG

The US Army is seeking to buy the ammunition in two batches:

Group A:
-- Bullets for AK-47 Assault Rifle: 55,200,000
-- Bullets for Glock Pistol: 24,000,000
-- Bullets for PKM Machine Gun: 18,000,000
-- Grenades for RPG-7 Launcher: 20,000
-- Bullets for Mossburg Shotgun: 2,500
-- Bullets for SVD Sniper Rifle: 2,500

Group B:
-- Bullets for AK-47 Assault Rifle: 36,800,000
-- Bullets for Glock Pistol: 16,000,000
-- Bullets for PKM Machine Gun: 12,000,000


Here is the official Request for Proposal (RFP) from the US Army Sustainment Command.

[Rose Siding]

1. And all of it will be trucked in under the protection of private security contractors

From today's WP:

snip>
The security industry's enormous growth has been facilitated by the U.S. military, which uses the 20,000 to 30,000 contractors to offset chronic troop shortages. Armed contractors protect all convoys transporting reconstruction materiel, including vehicles, weapons and ammunition for the Iraqi army and police. They guard key U.S. military installations and provide personal security for at least three commanding generals, including Air Force Maj. Gen. Darryl A. Scott, who oversees U.S. military contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan......

Contractors protecting U.S. bases
The military plans to outsource at least $1.5 billion in security operations this year, including the three largest security contracts in Iraq: a "theaterwide" contract to protect U.S. bases that is worth up to $480 million, according to Scott; a contract for up to $475 million to provide intelligence for the Army and personal security for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; and a contract for up to $450 million to protect reconstruction convoys. The Army has also tested a plan to use private security on military convoys for the first time, a shift that would significantly increase the presence of armed contractors on Iraq's dangerous roads.

"The whole face of private security changed with Iraq, and it will never go back to how it was," said Leon Sharon, a retired Special Operations officer who commands 500 private Kurdish guards at an immense warehouse transit point for weapons, ammunition and other materiel on the outskirts of Baghdad.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19256869/