Is a $5 million Mark 48 torpedo a massive ripoff or fairly priced?

[foxsquirrell]

I just found on wikipedia that the cost of a Mark 48 torpedo was 5.39 million dollars back in 2022!

How does it come up to cost that much!!! It is not made of gold. For sure it has sophisticated electronics, but still I don't see how it should cost that much. It is all a scam. Everybody charges 10 times more to rip the public from funds when it is something for the military or stuff like that.

It is very telling on what goes on in the USA. The USA should not criticize other countries for being corrupt because it is corrupt as they are if not more.

Yes it is theft of public funds

No the price is justified

[FreyaRed]

Material cost are probably 54k USD. How do you think all those billionaires earn their money? With producing and selling competitive products? Nope, with milking of on Public funds.

[foxsquirrell]

You should include labour, overheads, as well as royalties perhaps. But then again it should not exceed a few 100 thousand dollars per torpedo. So I agree, they are saying it costs more to pocket the difference. Stealing public funds.

[exitseven]

defense contracts operate on a cost plus basis. The contractor charges whatever they pay for labor , materials and administrative costs plus a predetermined profit. That profit usually includes donations to political campaigns and kickbacks to other government bureaucrats.

[foxsquirrell]

As I suspected. Theft of public funds. You have detailed out how it is done.

[exitseven]

I worked for a defense contractor.

[foxsquirrell]

lol oh I see, that explains it even better.

[DryGermanGuy]

"Man, fuck the American taxpayer."

- Efraim Diveroli, War Dogs

[foxsquirrell]

What do you mean?

[DryGermanGuy]

It's a movie about military procurement/contracts. From the outside the whole process could be seen as efficient to ensure lower costs for the military. But all the contractors do is trying to find ways to rip off the DoD. Hence that quote by one of the main characters.

[foxsquirrell]

Ahhh o. k. I never heard of it. I can't believe this goes on in the USA, where they boast with their democracy, their freedom, and their constitution as if they are world models. As if the world should follow in their example.

[exitseven]

@foxsquirrell Notice that Elon Musk and DOGE never touched the Pentagon. He had said tht the Pentagon was next but it never happened.

[DryGermanGuy]

@exitseven
Well, duh! When Trump's published intent is to increase the DoD budget by 50% (!!!), DOUCHE has lost before they even could start. Apart from all the costly chaos they created in other parts of the government.
en.wikipedia.org/.../Department_of_Government_Efficiency

[exitseven]

Too bad because they would have found more waste and corruption at the Pentagon than all the other government agencies put together

[DryGermanGuy]

Obviously. So the fact that they were stopped dead in their tracks, should tell you everything you need to know about the seriousness of that whole "waste fraud abuse" propaganda.

[Spencer10]

Depends on what you are shooting at... shoot one at an Aircraft Carrier well thats cost effective. Fire one at a Patrol Craft not so much.

[Pterodon]

Shut up. I’m a navy vet and I want the very best hardware to fight with period

[foxsquirrell]

What makes you think that I don't think that the Army and the Navy should have the best equipment? The Mark 48 torpedo I am saying is over priced. By which I mean the same torpedo can be made for less than a million I am guessing. There will be no loss of quality at all. The extra millions are not going into the torpedo, but into the bank accounts of thieves. With that money you should have at least 20 torpedoes Mark 48 of the same exact quality!

[Pterodon]

That’s your opinion

[foxsquirrell]

Yes it is. I was just clarifying that by no means I think that the navy, or the army, or the air force for that matter should have anything but the best weapons and equipment to fight with. Because that was your main complaint in your original reply.