The Military Industrial Complex is damaging the United States ability to wage war?

After years pouring over various reports, statistics and news articles I have come to a staggering conclusion, the military industrial complex can be just as big a hindrance to the United States war making capabilities as it can be an asset. Here is just one example of political futures and company profit margins being put ahead of protecting the United States and its allies.

Allow me to introduce you to different classes of naval vessels, one Chinese, one American. What does this have to with the military industrial complex  you ask? I will get to that shortly.

This is the USS Independence a "Littoral Combat Ship", armed with 1 57mm gun, 2 30mm chain guns and Raytheon SeaRAM CIWS (designed for shooting down incoming missiles).

This is a ship widely criticised for being overpriced, the project cost $3.7 billion in the 2011 fiscal year and each ship is expected to cost up to $480 million each (current estimates, knowing usual budget blow outs will likely be considerably more. A Department of Defence (DOD) report stated the LCS ships which include the Independence class was "not expected to be survivable in a hostile combat environment.". Not exactly what you want to hear about the new class of warship that the Navy spent $3.7 billion on in 2011 alone.


The second ship is the Chinese Houbei class missile boat. Each vessel is armed with 12 Anti-Aircraft missiles, a anti missile defence system and 8 Anti-Ship missiles.

This vessel is designed to operate in large packs and take down U.S carrier battle groups in any potential showdown with the U.S Navy over Taiwan. The impressive thing about the Houbei class missile boat is it only costs $40 million, for the price of 1 Independence class vessel a navy could have 12 Houbei class missile boats each potentially capable of defeating the vessel 12 times more expensive.

In spite of the Littoral Combat Ships shortcomings, cost blowouts and complete absence of firepower the DOD and the Navy have agreed to purchase afurther 10 Ships in a contract worth at least $3.5 billion.

This is where the Military Industrial complex begins to impair the United States ability to wage war, the DOD and the Navy are pouring billions of dollars into a ship their own reports have shown to be woefully inadequate. It is no longer a case of the best weapons for the best price for the United States armed forces, it is now a case of appeasing companies who's lobbyists raze hell on Capitol hill if their bosses dont get what they want.

In the case of the Independence class vessels Congressman Jo Bonner (Alabama) has come out in support of the vessel, how very interesting considering what a job creater that would be for people in his home state of Alabama. Once again companies are putting their bottom lines first and politicans are putting their own political future ahead of not only the lives of brave servicemen and women but also the United States continued dominance of the seas.