Newsgroups: sci.military
Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!att!cbnews!military
From: jkh@bambam.pcs.com (Jordan K. Hubbard)
Subject: AA Missile costs?
Organization: PCS Computer Systems, GmbH
Date: Fri, 19 Oct 90 03:26:24 GMT
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Message-ID: <1990Oct19.032624.12839@cbnews.att.com>
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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