MRAPs going to Iraq on Russian cargo planes (no joke)

[donsu]

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/10/airforce_MRAP_russian_071026w/


The Air Force has been forced to use Russian commercial cargo jets to rush mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles from the U.S. to Iraq because it does not have enough C-5 and C-17 planes to do the job, the service’s top civilian official said recently.

-snip-

“We are now sharing the mission of flying MRAPs over to Iraq between C-17s and Antonov airplanes,” Wynne said. “Did truly envision that we would fly war supplies with Russian-made airplanes? I don’t know.”

-snip-

Rep. Jim Saxton, R-N.J., said he was unaware that the Antonov airplanes are being used so extensively in the war effort.

The Russian-made Antonov An-124 is 25 percent larger than the C-5, the U.S. Air Force’s largest cargo plane. The AN-24 is operated primarily by Russian and Ukrainian freight companies, according to the Web site, Airliners.net.
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guess Putin is friendlier with the neo cons then he lets on.

world, take note

[hobbit709]

1. These clowns have outsourced everything now.

[Robbien]

2. Putin will do business with anyone who has the cash

You better believe he is demanding top dollar for this service.

[leftchick]

4. not only that

It is a win win for him with the US continuing the quagmire/occupation in Iraq AND profiting from it! :crazy:

[Selatius]

9. They're operated by private companies, not the Russian government. This isn't Putin's idea.

I doubt the Russian government would willingly allow Russian military transports to be used by American military units, given the hostile relations between the two in recent years.

[MikeNearMcChord]

3. America, in a Greek Tragedy. Whom the gods destroy, they first make mad.

[WGS]

5. It's not unusual

for the military to use contractors for moving men and equipment. It has been going on forever.

[donsu]

6. russian contractors?

nt

[mvccd1000]

7. Russian planes. Not necessarily Russian companies.

There are MANY of those things flying around the world, not just in Russia. The AN-24's are some big birds, too. They land here daily, and there aren't many planes that look like that.

[tabasco]

10. In the US Army, I flew in a Russian helicopter in Somalia.

A "Hip" transport chopper. It was a civilian flying it.

[tabasco]

8. We frequently fly troops on charter flights.

Sounds like a setup for a request for more billions.

We already spend more on "defense" than the rest of the world put together.

Sounds to me like the Sec. of the USAF, a hand-selected Bush stooge, is crying crocodile tears about the poor, poor USAF needing more planes.

I call bullshit. More profiteering and funneling of our money to the rich.