Why does the US sell our weapons systems to other countries?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Why does the US sell our weapons systems to other countries?

Posted: 3/6/2006 4:35:29 PM EDT

From M1 tanks to Apache helicopters? How do we know they won't be used against us in a decade?

Posted: 3/6/2006 4:36:28 PM EDT

[#1]

money.

We count on the fact that 5 years after we start using somthing, we have somthing better.

Posted: 3/6/2006 4:36:38 PM EDT

[#2]

Don't worry...They ain't what we use.

Trust me.

They are export versions.

Posted: 3/6/2006 4:37:02 PM EDT

[#3]

Money man, money!

Posted: 3/6/2006 4:37:23 PM EDT

[#4]

Because we have to give all we have to Israel so they can turn around and sell it our enemies

Posted: 3/6/2006 4:37:30 PM EDT

[#5]

$

That said, we usually sell watered down versions with not as good radars, ect. It's part of being in an alliance with the country. if you look closely, you will see that usually if they use our toys, they house our boys. getting permission to station troops in a country isnt free.

Posted: 3/6/2006 4:38:50 PM EDT

[#6]

The US defense industry wouldn't survive if we didn't.

Posted: 3/6/2006 4:41:53 PM EDT

[#7]

as said before: money.

however, this money funds our even better weapons and r&d.

Posted: 3/6/2006 4:52:45 PM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
Because we have to give all we have to Israel so they can turn around and sell it our enemies

Prepare for a flaming.
Don't ever dare to point out that Israel would fuck us in the ass without so much as a reacharound, if it suited their purposes.
They care for noone else, but number 1.
We should follow their example.

Posted: 3/6/2006 4:54:10 PM EDT

[#9]

Because the President doesn't care about our nation's security.
There does that sound like an arfcommer?

Posted: 3/6/2006 4:55:38 PM EDT

[#10]

Because of $ and to win friends.

The weapons are usually downgraded. Also its not like they will not buy similar weapons from the French or Germans. So we might as well get the money.

Keeps our people working and our infrastructure up to date to produce more up to date weapons later.

We are by far the largest weapons dealer in the world. One of our planes will cost as much as most of the small arms that China can supply to a country.

Posted: 3/6/2006 4:58:33 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
Because of $ and to win friends.

The weapons are usually downgraded. Also its not like they will not buy similar weapons from the French or Germans. So we might as well get the money.

Keeps our people working and our infrastructure up to date to produce more up to date weapons later.

We are by far the largest weapons dealer in the world. One of our planes will cost as much as most of the small arms that China can supply to a country.

Except in the case of the UAE. They're getting the Block 60 F-16 which is much more advanced than any the USAF has

Posted: 3/6/2006 4:58:49 PM EDT

[#12]

A lot of our foreign aid comes back to the US via arms purchases.

Posted: 3/6/2006 4:59:37 PM EDT

[#13]

Do any of you gus actually thinik we couldn't clean the clocks
of whoever we sell our stuff to?

Do you believe we sell them the very same things we use?

No country that has a robust weapons trade has export versions
of everything they sell......Even the French, who, at least last i checked are
the biggest arms exporters on the face of the earth.

Those Iraqi vehicles we tore through in GWI?

Russian export version T-72s were teh best they hand and, scouts
in 1-7 were relateing tearign them open with 25MM.

Posted: 3/6/2006 5:00:28 PM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:

Except in the case of the UAE. They're getting the Block 60 F-16 which is much more advanced than any the USAF has

block 60=newer

newer doesnt equal better. suffice to say the avionics and radars will not be what we put in our jets.

Posted: 3/6/2006 5:02:14 PM EDT

[#15]

Well... to my knowledge it's a good tactic... selling things that "we use" when they are in fact of lower quality and therefore are not up to specs of what we really use.

By selling lower quality armorments to other people, if they plan on attacking us we will be better equipped than them and have the advantage of knowing the teck.

Not to mention that the profits go straight into the armed forces budget.

Posted: 3/6/2006 5:04:31 PM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Because of $ and to win friends.

The weapons are usually downgraded. Also its not like they will not buy similar weapons from the French or Germans. So we might as well get the money.

Keeps our people working and our infrastructure up to date to produce more up to date weapons later.

We are by far the largest weapons dealer in the world. One of our planes will cost as much as most of the small arms that China can supply to a country.

Except in the case of the UAE. They're getting the Block 60 F-16 which is much more advanced than any the USAF has

You are totally missing the point. The US is NO longer buying F16s on a large scale. They will get some replacements for the ones they have now but there are no plans to buy huge blocks of planes like they did in the past.

The resources are now going into the F35 and F22 and other more advanced planes.

The military rarely will retire or sell a system until it has something better in the pipeline. The only exceptions would be the British and Israel.

Posted: 3/6/2006 5:22:42 PM EDT

[#17]

For the money. Also, if the country that buys something, like the F-14 makes a policy that Washington is against, like holding our embassy workers hostage the spare parts stop flowing to that country. The Soviets used to do the same thing. I think they called it "Mig diplomacy"

Posted: 3/6/2006 5:56:40 PM EDT

[#18]

If we dont sell them weapons, the French will be more than happy to. So why miss out on that crazy arms export money?

Posted: 3/6/2006 6:06:26 PM EDT

[#19]

Our weapons of war are made by private companies that do business. There are rules however about what can be exported and to who.

Posted: 3/6/2006 6:21:20 PM EDT

[#20]

As has been said before, it's a race to the bottom--other countries will do it, so we better get a piece of the action.

If it makes you sleep better at night, as portrayed in "Lord of War", the Russians were happy to sell their weapons to countries who then armed child soldiers. We on the other hand, arm nations, who then have the luxury of dropping laser guided bombs on children instead (or merely maintaining a grip on power, whatever. Insert all ethical 'gray area' actions here, of whatever nation).

Point being, you should quit bothering about it. You entered the military-industrial complex the day you were born, like most citizens of modern industrial nations. Have you ever looked at the projects your local university receives funding for? The families of companies your parents or relatives work for?

In the long view, we're little better or worse than anyone else. Get off the computer and go find three things:

1) money
2) pussy
3) beer

There. I just saved you a lot of heartache.

Posted: 3/6/2006 6:28:38 PM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
The only exceptions would be the British and Israel.

I'm pretty sure you can include Australia on that list.

Posted: 3/6/2006 7:20:05 PM EDT

[#22]

It brings the price down when the .mil wants to buy more.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Why does the US sell our weapons systems to other countries?

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