Soldiers forced to shout 'bang' ...

[Pale_Rider]

Now from the surrealism department ...

Soldiers forced to shout 'bang' as the (British) Army runs out of ammunition

http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/07/17/nbang17.xml

Soldiers are facing the undignified prospect of being forced to shout "bang, bang" on military training exercises after an admission by the Army that it is running out of blank ammunition.

The shortage is also likely to result in a large number of important training exercises being cancelled or severely restricted.

The crisis has emerged at a time when the Army is operating at full-stretch with up to 9,000 troops deployed in Iraq and 4,000 training for a possible deployment to Afghanistan next spring.

The astonishing admission that soldiers do not have enough blank ammunition comes after disclosures of other crucial equipment shortages earlier this year - including insufficient training rounds for grenade launchers and cleaning kits for machine-guns.

Does this mean if we run out of ammo, the war is over?

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Our troops have been facign this for a while

and yes we are running out of critical items... so this is not surprising one bit

[dhinojosa]

3. The article I believe is about the brits not our own....nt

[Pale_Rider]

11. General Dyanmics got a big ammo deal ...

http://www.thestreet.com/_googlen/stocks/manufacturing/10231499.html?cm_ven=GOOGLEN&cm_cat=FREE&cm_ite=NA

A General Dynamics (GD:NYSE - commentary - research) unit won at least $56 million in Army ammunition work.

The company said its General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems unit got the contracts from the U.S. Army Field Support Command in Rock Island, Ill. Work will be performed at the company's Marion, Ill., facility.

The arrangement includes a $9.2 million firm-fixed-price contract for the manufacture of 25mm cartridges, an $11.8 million firm-fixed price contract for 30mm target practice rounds and dummy ammunition, a $32.5 million award for the production of 30mm training rounds and a $3 million contract to produce 25mm ammunition. The rounds will be used in the Army's Bradley fighting vehicle and Apache attack helicopter, the Air Force's Warthog and the Navy's Harrier plane.

"We are most pleased to continue as a major U.S. producer of all medium-caliber ammunition for our fighting forces," said Michael Wilson, president of General Dynamics Ordnance. "Securing the major share of these production requirements reflects our continued commitment to manufacturing excellence, and affordability."

On Friday, General Dynamics rose 30 cents to $108.80.

[dhinojosa]

2. WTF is going on with british defense?

damn

[Canuckistanian]

4. Funny, the Iraqi insurgents seem to have lots of ammo...

And grenade launchers and explosives and AK-47's and......

[dhinojosa]

6. and...for what they don't get they make IEDs......nt

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. Let's hope they extend the practice to Iraq.

And, to all parties concerned. Then issue pillows so they can slug it out and any civilians around will suffer, at worst, allergy to feathers symptoms.

[IntiRaymi]

7. This is also common in the US Army

Everything being said about the British Army can also be said about the US Army.

[DistressedAmerican]

8. No, They'll Always Produce What They Need To Keep Killing.

And the contractors will keep getting filthy rich.

Blanks do not kill people, 500 pound bombs do!

[stray cat]

9. 60 minutes had a similar report on our USA troops in Iraq

Our leaders have cut training budgets leading to no bullets for training in Iraq. The good news is the defense budget is going to pork-barrel spending that has nothing to do with defense and protecting/equiping our soldiers.

[htuttle]

10. Bangity bangity bang! Tankity tankity-tank!

Christ, an old WWI joke come to life...