"Kevin Brooks" wrote in message ...
"robert arndt" wrote in message
om...
(Denyav) wrote in message
...
Ahh, that's so sad. Maybe in the future we should buy German Puma IFVs
instead:

http://www.kmweg.de/english/Schuezen...a_content.html

LAV itself is based on a swiss MOWAG design.


Shhh... don't tell that to the "Made in the USA/USA Number 1" club who
like to pretend all our stuff originated here. History also proves
that when superior foreign equipment is offered to the US military it
usually is rejected to keep inferior US companies that are facing
possible extinction in business. Those same companies then overbill
the military at the taxpayers expense. A big price to pay for draping
a US flag over military procurement.
I bet the HK XM-8 rifle doesn't get accepted here either... even
though it is clearly superior to anything Colt has to offer and at a
much lower price tag too!

You are growing increasingly paranoid, Arndt. Let's see-- the Baretta M9,
the M249 SAW, the H&K Special Opns pistol...yep, it appears the US is quite
willing to buy foreign weapons when they are the best of the bunch offered
for a requirement.

Gee, that's 3 weapons out of HOW many offered? And don't use HK as an
example as they are primarily for SFs.

Just as we are happy to buy US made weapons/systems when
they are the best available--and

BTW, how many kills has your "greatest"
German MBT racked up? None? How many times has it been exposed to hostile
fire in a combat envoronment and survived? Never? Gosh, it sure is easy to
declare it the "greatest" when it spends all of its time on the parade
ground or in the motor pool, huh?

The 1979 M-1 took until 1991 to go into combat and we lost 18 of them
then- mines, fire (flame), friendly fire. In Gulf War II we lost more-
this time to ATGWs.
There is no doubt that both the Leopard 2A6 (ranked Number 1) and
Japanese Type 90 (the Leopard clone ranked Number 3) would stand up
well in all hostile environments. Mines, fire, friendly fire, and
top-attack missiles would still present problems but these Western
tanks are superior to the Israeli Merkava 3 and the Merkava kicks ass
even in street fighting. So use your head.
BTW, it is the EXPERTS that rank the MBTs and the Leopard has held the
MBT title since the Leopard 2A5. Right now, the Leopard 2A6 could
remove the L55 gun and replace it with the already German-tested 140mm
gun. The M-1 cannot.
The Leopard 2A6 has superior armor protection, main gun, ammo and less
heat signature, reduced fuel consumption, and all the advantages of a
high-powered turbo diesel that is much more easy to work on and repair
than a gas turbine. And at an incredible 63 tons fully loaded the
Leopard 2A6 can still "fly" over obstacles and reach speeds of up to
49 mph!!!
Side-by-side, the M-1 and Leopard are fierce competitors... but the
Leopard II has taken the lead. Sorry you don't like that and the fact
that Leopards were offered to the US several times.

Brooks

Rob