Armor Holdings Could Boost Humvee Armor Output 22% (Update4)

[bemildred]

"We're doing everything we can", eh?

Dec. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Armor Holdings Inc., the sole supplier of protective plates for the Humvee military vehicles used in Iraq, said it could increase output by as much as 22 percent per month with no investment and is awaiting an order from the Army.

U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said yesterday the Army was working as fast as it can and supply is dictated by ``a matter of physics, not a matter of money.'' A Pentagon spokeswoman declined comment.

Jacksonville, Florida-based Armor Holdings last month told the Army it could add armor to as many as 550 of the trucks a month, up from 450 vehicles now, Robert Mecredy, president of the company's aerospace and defense group, said in an interview today.

``We're prepared to build 50 to 100 vehicles more per month,'' Mecredy said in the telephone interview. ``I've told the customer that and I stand ready to do that.''

Bloomberg

[Just Me]

1. He's prolly just waiting until the Carlyle Group buys the company.

Particularly since it is the sole supplier of the protective plates.

:bounce:

[Stinky The Clown]

12. Haha, That's EXACTLY what I thought when I read this!

[Sanity Claws]

2. Great stuff

I hope this gets out there, although it is highly unlikely that the MSM will note this contradiction of slimey Rummy

[maddezmom]

3. and maybe they can employ the workers layed off at Lear Seigler

However, that's one side of the story. News 14 Carolina did try to talk to some of the higher-ups, but they made us leave the property, and gave us no explanation for the layoffs.


Lear Seigler is contracted by the government to repair battle worn military humvees.

The starting salary for an experienced mechanic is about $17 an hour. Most were told before signing on that their jobs were secure for at least a year.

Mechanic Robert Martin said, “I got enough money saved up. I am not worried about it. I'm going to have a good Christmas either way. I'm probably going to Florida today when I leave here.”

http://rdu.news14.com/content/your_news/fayetteville/default.asp?ArID=60282

[da_chimperor]

4. "As fast as humanly possible"? Uh-huh.

This is pretty damn sick. An additional 100 armored Humvee per months without any investment needed. How many lives would have been saved if they had increased production at the start of the war? :grr:

[JPace]

5. If the generals had to ride around in unprotected vehicles

they'd have the job done in a week. The lowly troops seem to be expendable to the upper brass.

[insane_cratic_gal]

6. But aren't these guys

the ones doing the bid? they just got 4 million?

http://www.arotech.com/

the company that is supplying these armor kits is

http://www.mdt-armor.com/pr/index.html

an Israeli company in bed with Bushco?

[MrBenchley]

7. Not the sex but the lying.....

So besides being a big old arrogant "fuck you", Rumsfeld's answer to the soldier's question was a flat-out lie.

Wonder if we'll see Clear Channel holding "Support the Troops" pep rallies to demand armor?

[AValdoux]

8. MSM misses the point again

I understand the armor problem to be with all vehicles. The troops deploying with their equipment out of Kuwait are attaching plate steel to every vehicle they take in. Flat beds, cargo haulers, etc. It's not just Humvees. The National Guard Reservists brought their vehicles that are often Vietnam era equipment. The Off to War documentary shows the troops from Arkansas doing this.

AValdoux

[MGKrebs]

9. Great quotes from Rummy:

"In the meeting when a couple of the issues came up that were specific, I asked people that work for us there to talk to those people, get their names, and to do something about it," Rumsfeld said. "And certainly, we intend to see that the people who raise those kinds of questions get responses."

Sounds ominous!

"As for the soldier who asked him the question about armored vehicles yesterday, Rumsfeld said, "I don't know what the facts are, but somebody is certainly going to sit down with him and find out what he knows that they may not know, and make sure he knows what they know that he may not know. That's a good thing. So I guess it is a very constructive exchange."

That's an actual quote!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51481-2004Dec9.html

edited to add link

[Algorem]

10. That bastard Clinton!

[donkeyotay]

11. "The concerns expressed are being addressed

"The concerns expressed are being addressed, and that is, we expect our troops to have the best possible equipment….”said President If-his-Lips-are-Moving, He’s Lying.

“I don’t expect to get called on anything by GOPer Media. So anytime I have to try and speak in public, I just say some shit that sounds like I’m on it or even give a rip.”

Okay, I made the last part up, but the first part’s for real.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=564&e=8&u=/nm/iraq_usa_rumsfeld_dc