[Milsurplus] Pentagon Limits Gear in Surplus Auctions

[J Forster]

Hue Miller wrote:

> They (Iran) may have many smart people, but they do have limited
> manufacturing capability.

Iran almost certainly has modern NC machinery from Japan, China, N. Korea, France,
or Russia. A modern NC machine can do easily what took a great shop 35 years ago.
As to electronics, in 1970 the cutting edge was TTL. Any obsolete fab can make
that stuff. China can better that by 30 years. I just don't think the claim is
credible. The electronics could even be older, because the system was fielded 35
years ago. Also, the Iranians probably have some pretty good SAMs which are a
likely threat to US planes and have a demonstrated capability with anti-ship
missiles good enough to destroy at least tankers in the straights.

This sounds just like the chorus leading up to the second invasion of Iraq, but
now we really lack the capability, as long as we don't  go nuke. What do you think
a US attack on Iran w/o complete victory would do to the world? Maybe I should buy
stock in bicycle makers.

> If this makes it even slightly more difficult for them to obtain, for example,
> aircraft-grade fasteners, that is a slight advantage, yes? And if they have
> to produce the parts on their own, or pay more on the international
> market for aftermarket parts, that diverts money and resources from other
> efforts of theirs: this is an "opportunity cost."

You gotta be kidding. Have you looked at the price of oil or gas lately? Iran is
swimming in money. OUR money. If they need more, all they have to do is jack up
the price of oil and we pay it. It would make a LOT more sense to put a stiff
federal excise tax on every car over 2500 pounds to chop oil usage than this nutso
scheme.

FWIW,
-John


> A basic rule of warfare, even cold warfare, is you deny your enemy any
> advantage, yes?
> -Hue Miller / Newport, Oregon