Iraq lost 2,300 Humvee armoured vehicles in Mosul: PM

[Caspian Morgan]

Source: AFP

Baghdad (AFP) - Iraqi security forces lost 2,300 Humvee armoured vehicles when the Islamic State jihadist group overran the northern city of Mosul, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Sunday.

"In the collapse of Mosul, we lost a lot of weapons," Abadi said in an interview with Iraqiya state TV. "We lost 2,300 Humvees in Mosul alone."

While the exact price of the vehicles varies depending on how they are armoured and equipped, it is clearly a hugely expensive loss that has boosted IS' capabilities.

Last year, the State Department approved a possible sale to Iraq of 1,000 Humvees with increased armour, machineguns, grenade launchers, other gear and support that was estimated to cost $579 million.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/iraq-lost-2-300-humvee-armoured-vehicles-mosul-170857509.html

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All the wars are spiraling out of control. Meanwhile the US MSM is silent and not reporting the truth to the American people.

[Comrade Grumpy]

1. I hear they make nice vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices.

[SoapBox]

2. ...

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

3. Well I guess at least 1000 Humvees...

... for Iraq will help the economy, ie... more high value exports, sigh.

[leveymg]

4. Each Humvee cost $579,000? No wonder they want another war

Just load up the Boeings and drop pallets of $100 dollar bills. It would be cheaper.

[Recursion]

10. Unit acquisition cost is $220K per (including armor upgrade)

Total lifecycle ownership cost is IIRC about $3 million.

[moondust]

6. What happens when all that stuff breaks down?

[Recursion]

9. Humvees aren't terribly high tech

It's just a basic diesel engine inside of a big block of steel. One of the reasons they're so popular.

[moondust]

11. They still need spare parts.

And somebody who can maintain and fix them, which can be somewhat more demanding than firing a Kalashnikov.

[Plucketeer]

16. Certainly there's support for these vehicles

not far from the front. Those support facilities would have stocks of parts - at least the parts known to most often fail - close at hand. I seriously doubt the turn-tail Iraqis gathered up all the brake shoes, fuel pumps and tires as they fled. So, there's the part trove. And in addition, they can cannibalize any inoperable (partly damaged) vehicles as need be.

[project_bluebook]

7. Kind of like a modern Lend Lease

from hell. Will we ever learn?

[Psephos]

12. The JV just got new team equipment. n/t

[Javaman]

13. Did you hear that? that was the sound of cash registars ringing all over...

defense industry land!

they are rubbing their hands together as a "deal" is reached to send more arms to Iraq to replace the old 2300 Humvees that were wasting away in transport depots for lack of parts.

not even going into the massive sales of more arms to Iraq. That's a given.

what are we building here? what are we feeding? what is being created?

[KoKo]

15. Our Tax Dollars at work as Average Americans live under Austerity,Ageing Infrastructure

Constant Government Surveillance, Military Actions by our Police against Citizens, Declining Job Opportunities and lack of Affordable College Education Opportunities.

What could be wrong about this?

[Historic NY]

17. Well at least we have new targets to aim for.

[mountain grammy]

18. Made in America.. one of our best exports..

We should be so proud to see all American war products having such big successes. Where's the pride in American weapons? It really is the thing we're best at. Drones, Humvees, and weapons of all shapes and sizes help put food on the table of many American workers.
http://www.npr.org/2014/09/18/349464086/isis-militants-found-to-have-american-made-weapons

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/isis-claims-weapons-cache-iraq/

America, spreading death and destruction around the globe..

[nykym]

19. WHy not equip all Humvee's

with starter interrupt devices or the like and GPS tracking modules.
If ISIS is going to take them we can use it to our advantage.