jkh@bambam.pcs.com (Jordan K. Hubbard) (10/19/90)
From: jkh@bambam.pcs.com (Jordan K. Hubbard) Hi, just a quickie question here, perhaps particilarly relevant in view of the recent budgetary problems. Every time I've read about various missile engagements where missiles were used rather profligately, I've wondered just exactly how much the damn things cost. This question is particularly pertinent on occasions where folks like Randy Cunningham used sidewinders to destroy trucks (well, he only did it once, to my knowledge, when he managed to get a lock on a particularly hot truck exhaust on the Ho Chi Minh). Just what does a sidewinder cost, anyway? Would it be possible that Randy's missile ended up costing significantly more than the truck? :-) (of course, I know there are other tactical considerations; if the truck was carrying 5000 hand grenades for the VC, then it was well worth it for the lives it saved) Other references to "volleys of million dollar Phoenix missiles" in Clancy's books also make me wonder. So. Does anyone know what the respective costs for Sidewinder, Sparrow, Phoenix, etc, AA Missiles are? I'm talking about recent models of course. Just interested. Jordan
biow@tove.cs.umd.edu (Christopher Biow) (10/23/90)
From: biow@tove.cs.umd.edu (Christopher Biow) In article <1990Oct19.032624.12839@cbnews.att.com> jkh@bambam.pcs.com (Jordan K. Hubbard) writes: >From: jkh@bambam.pcs.com (Jordan K. Hubbard) >Every time I've read about various missile engagements where missiles >were used rather profligately, I've wondered just exactly how much the >damn things cost. >Other references to "volleys of million dollar >Phoenix missiles" in Clancy's books also make me wonder. So. Does >anyone know what the respective costs for Sidewinder, Sparrow, >Phoenix, etc, AA Missiles are? I'm talking about recent models of >course. > Jordan Very roughly, Navy versions of the Sidewinder are around $150,000, the Sparrow about 250K, and the newest version of the Phoenix about a million a copy. Remember that these prices are very much influenced by the quantity of the buy; the Phoenix does not inherently cost that much. Also, keep in mind that $ exchange ratios only have meaning in combat in a prolonged war of attrition. In a "come as you are war," most of the costs are operational, during the decades the military was keeping ready for a war. The number of guns/planes/missiles you have on M day is fixed more by these costs than by the sticker cost of the weapon in question. To pick an absurd illustration, suppose that the M-16 rifle costs $500. Buying a $250 rifle that was almost as good would not double the number of rifles that we could put in the field. Chris
gwh%tornado.Berkeley.EDU@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (George William Herbert) (10/24/90)
From: gwh%tornado.Berkeley.EDU@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (George William Herbert) The sidewinder is about fourteen thousand a copy these days. The sparrow is nearly half a million. The AMRAAM is closer to seven hundred thousand. THe Phoenix is about 1.2 million. == George William Herbert == **There are only two truly infinite things,** == JOAT for Hire: Anything, == * the universe and stupidity. And I am * =======Anywhere, My Price======= * unsure about the universe. -A.Einstein * == gwh@ocf.berkeley.edu == ********************************************* == ucbvax!ocf!gwh == The OCF Gang: Making Tomorrow's Mistakes Today
phil@brahms.AMD.COM (Phil Ngai) (10/24/90)
From: phil@brahms.AMD.COM (Phil Ngai) In article <1990Oct19.032624.12839@cbnews.att.com> jkh@bambam.pcs.com (Jordan K. Hubbard) writes: |Just |what does a sidewinder cost, anyway? Would it be possible that Randy's |missile ended up costing significantly more than the truck? Actually, it doesn't matter at all. If both parties in a war had equal resources, it might be of some interest, but the US generally can out spend its opponents if that's all it takes to win the war. (sometimes we out spend our opponents and still lose the war, but that's not relevant here) Also, Americans tend to place a higher value on the lives of their soldiers, probably because we tend to have more money. If we can win, at a price we can afford, then that's what counts and the value of enemy assets destroyed doesn't matter. -- The Bill of Rights isn't perfect, but it's better than what we have now.
ab3o+@andrew.cmu.edu (Allan Bourdius) (10/24/90)
From: Allan Bourdius <ab3o+@andrew.cmu.edu> I believe that Hughes cranks out AIM-54C Phoenixes at about $750,000-$800,000 per warshot. Originally, the Phoenix cost over $1 million, but somehow Hughes improved capability and reduced cost. Hard to believe, isn't it? Allan