DOD says it is taking steps to
replenish the
dwindling supply of air-launched cruise missiles.
Then it went and said it has enough to
carry out the NATO strikes on Yugoslavia.
"We think we have enough to hit a number of high
value targets,''
said Ken Bacon, Pentagon spokesman.
The he added
``But if we have to do the same thing next
year somewhere else, we could be out."
(Can you say Iraq?)
Supplies of other weapons such as sea-launched
cruise missiles and Joint Direct Attack Munitions
are allegedly in plentiful supply.
The Air Force said it had received approval from the
White House Office of Management and Budget to shift
$51.5 million from other missile programs in the FY99 budget,
to replenish the supply of the air-dropped cruise missiles.
The shift of funds must be approved by Congress
when it gets back from it's two-week vacation.
The funds would be used to modify 92 ALCMs
from nuclear to non-nuclear warheads.
The GPS will also be installed.
Any duds found by the Yugos will quickly be shipped to China.
Reuters quoted David Ochmanek, a defense analyst
at the Rand Corp. He says it's no big deal because
ALCMs are only needed at the beginning of campaigns
because they aren't needed once the air defense are destroyed.
(Like I didn't already know.)
That wasn't enough expertise.
Bill Taylor, director of political military studies at the
Center for Strategic and International Studies
chimed in w/ a similar statement.
But Reuters fails to note the parallels between the
Kosovan Albanians and the U.S. Hispanic border issue.
100 cruise missiles were used in the initial days
of NATO strikes, but the DOD won't say how
many ALCMs or SLCMs were launched.
DOD didn't say how long the conversions will take.
The production line for these had been shut down.
It may take months to begin.
Most ALCMs were built w/ nuke's for a
W.W. III confrontation with the Soviet Union or China.
June 1986
Boeing begins conversions for use w/ conventional warheads.
Jan. 88
1st conversions are in service.
Gulf War
35 converted ALCMs were launched from B-52s.
June 1995
Boeing is awarded contract to convert 100 more ALCMs
March 1996
Boeing receives contract to convert another 100.
The conversions ended w/ the development of a
less expensive missile expected to be added
to the U.S. military force in 2001 or 2002.
ALCMs were used in NATO strikes for Kosovo.
New Tomahawk
Tactics Explained
7/18/00 |