Mid-South lawmakers rally to keep Abrams tank rolling

Mid-South lawmakers rally to keep Abrams tank rolling
18 May 2011

The U.S. Army would like to save $1.3 billion by suspending production of the Abrams tank for up to four years, but 137 members of Congress, including all four from Mississippi, have asked the Army secretary to reconsider the decision.
The lawmakers assert that the decision to stop tank production for the first time since 1941 would affect the U.S. industrial base and “could end up costing more in the long run and result in lost capacity and readiness.” They also suggest it could have an impact on the “war-fighting capabilities of our Army and continued availability of critical resources for our troops.”
They urged Army Secretary John McHugh to consider producing 70 tanks a year from 2013 to 2017 when the next generation of the tank will be ready to go on the government-owned assembly line near Lima, Ohio.
The huge defense contractor General Dynamics Land Systems and its subcontractors are lobbying Congress to keep the production line going.
An Army study in 2008 found a three- to four-year shutdown of the plant followed by a restart would cost about $800 million but producing 70 tanks a year between 2012 and 2015 would cost about $2.1 billion. The savings of $1.3 billion persuaded the Army to recommend suspending production.
Among those signing the letter were U.S. Reps. Alan Nunnelee, Steven Palazzo and Gregg Harper, all R-Miss., and Bennie G. Thompson, D-Miss., as well as Mike Ross, D-Ark. No representatives from Tennessee signed the letter. (Source: The Commercial Appeal)


Source;

http://bit.ly/l3jYAt


Copyright 2011 Atkins & Assoc. All Rights Reserved.