Selling his defense budget cuts at the Air Force War College today, Defense Secretary Robert Gates says, according to the AP, “the pirate drama over the last week helps prove his point about why the Pentagon should change its weapon-buying habits.”
No one is more joyful about the Navy Seals rescue of Captain Richard Phillips then the Heritage family. But the threats our nation faces extends a bit beyond three pirates in the Gulf of Aiden.
If China takes down our satellite system sometime in the future, will Gates shoot at them with a sniper rifle?
Gates’ budget is essentially a flat budget topline for the military in 2010. However, since the costs of doing everything in the military–from paying people to buying new equipment–greatly outpaces inflation every year, in reality this translates to a declining defense budget.
Congress should, instead, support a final budget resolution that increases defense by $27 billion in 2010 in order to meet the 4 percent benchmark identified as the minimum funding level necessary to train and equip America’s military as advocated by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen.
Gates should know better than almost anyone in the world that the weapons used to dispatch the three pirates were not three cheap, simple sniper rifles, but three copies of a complete "system", each consisting of one cheap and simple sniper rifle, and one highly trained sniper. The total cost is probably into the tens of millions of dollars – each.
A non leathal way to combat pirates. Pepper spray through agriculture type spray nozzles to keep the pirates out of the ships wake and in the rougher water, and if they get close enough to use the grappeling hooks, 5 gallons of diesel dumped on their boat. Diesel becomes very slick when it comes in contact with water. Make it 50%gasoline and it is a deterant to the use of firearms.
One of the primary purposes of our government is defense and the protection of our citizens, Not studying pig odor and bed bugs. GATES — Get a Clue!!!