Hey, please don't rake me over the coals. I offer this posting in the spirit of fun, it is dedicated to all the GI's out there that find a Y2K connection with every news event.

What if the US military is now doing Y2K evaluation of its munitions? Anything not Y2K compliant, they drop on the Serbs. Anything compliant stays in inventory.

The brilliant thing about this theory is that the military can report great progress in remediating its weapons systems without having to do any programming. And Congress is obligated to put money into the military coffers to replace all the bombs and missiles it uses up.

It does sound like we are using up quite a few cruise missiles and smart bombs.Why knows? They may have a short shelf life. Use them while you can.

Of course, this theory may run counter to the facts on the situation. Post away and smash this off the wall theory.

-- David Holladay (davidh@brailleplanet.org), March 29, 1999

Answers

Nothing's impossible! But...ONLY IN AMERICA!!

-- JA (JA4you@aol.com), March 29, 1999.

As long as they don't start smoke testing the nukes.

-- Scott (duhelmet@aol.com), March 29, 1999.

Rotate, Rotate, Rotate.

-- A (bomb@stacker.com), March 29, 1999.

Remembering that I had read somewhere that the Tomahawk cruise missile is not compliant, and that the 3/31 compliance deadline is coming up, I have had exactly these thoughts, too. (Hope that wasn't the reason we trashed a $2B F117A, but I like the idea of a $2B "mechanical" error even less!) I don't *really* think DOD is trying to cook their Q1 numbers, but it does makes me wonder whether all of our Tomahawk cruise missiles count as *one* noncompliant mission critical system, or if they are counted individually. I *have* been thinking since earlier this year that noncompliant payloads could land us in some skirmish before the end of the year, just didn't think it would happen so soon. Problem, of course, is that there may be a whole lot of other countries also trying to unload noncompliant weapons.

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), March 29, 1999.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong but an F177 goes for about $56 million, not $2 billion. Also, don't many of the guidance systems in our missles now rely on navigation by GPS rather than laser?

Seems that maybe that GPS roll-over deadline might have been a possible factor.

David, I have some of the feeling you have regarding testing but I thought maybe we are testing Russia and what it might do in an action like this. What weapons might they be holding that we haven't seen yet. Can we push them now to tip their hand?

There are so many possibilities that it makes your head spin, huh?

Mike =============================================================

-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), March 29, 1999.

opps, make that F117!

Mike ===================================================================

-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), March 29, 1999.

David, to add another element to your theory, what if the powers-that-be are trying to prevent having to deal with the Serbian conflict at a time when we KNOW we won't be ready? Read the Congressional report card lately? Navy's still not up to snuff, and most likely will be (or should be) in dry dock for the New Year's party. Could it be possible that Clinton wants to get a jump on any problems that may arise next year by eliminating them this year with noncompliant munitions? Just wondering ....

Jeannie

-- jhollander (hollander@ij.net), March 29, 1999.

My husband commented just this morning that he thinks Clinton is testing out whether or not he could effectively combat militant riots here in the US when he declares martial law.

-- linda (smitmom@hotmail.com), March 29, 1999.

Perhaps I'm wasting my time in trying to point out the obvious crackpot nature of the GI. Seems like they are doing a good enough job themselves - as witness, this thread...

-- Y2K Pro (2@641.com), March 29, 1999.

Just as an addendum. We have been using up our stock of cruise missiles. The military is now converting some of the previously nuclear tipped ones to conventional use. A new, much longer range cruise is on the drawing boards but not in production. If Iraq really heated up again, we could get critically short. If I were Saddam, now would be a great time to tweak the Great Satan again. (How does it feel being a minion to the Dark One?)

-- RD. ->H (drherr@erols.com), March 29, 1999.

Yeah 2 billion is for the B2 bomber.

-- Shimrod (shimrod@lycosmail.com), March 29, 1999.

RD--

I'm getting used to being a "minion to the Dark One." After all, he has been president for over 6 years now.

-- rick blaine (y2kazoo@hotmail.com), March 29, 1999.

another possibility: We HAD to get involved in something media-heavy, to keep the attention away from Y2K!

-- Jack Olson (jack_olson@email.com), March 29, 1999.

Don,t forget! Bill Clinton first Pres. after BUSH.

-- && (&&@&&.com), March 29, 1999.

I tend to agree with Jack...anything to draw attention from Y2K....the next question is: who will stand to make money during the war on the Serbians? Where's the money? Who will benefit from this undeclared war upon a civil action in an autonomous country. It is important to remember that the US has been pulling the economic imperialism for decades,....remember Guatamala in the 50s,...?

Who benefits?

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), March 29, 1999.

You aren't ever going to know the details about how, when and where missiles are nade to do what they do, but you can be sure they don't used dates for goodness sake! As for GPS no. Anyone who knows how they work would not tell you anyway due to security clearances that hold you from giving out the information for life. Speculate to your heart and immaginations content. By the way, a GPS reciever is one of the easiest things to "update". You gotta admit, seeing those B-52's taking off and flying is an amazing thing to see. Takes 3 men and a boy to get it off of the ground, but flies beautifully.

-- Cherri (sams@brigadoon.com), March 29, 1999.

Donna,

It wasn't just in the '50s.

Marine Corps history refers to the period between WWI and WWII as the time of the "Banana Wars".

Between the Regular Corps and the Marine Corps Reserve, the US government supplied personnel for most of the Central American and Carribean Constabularies and the Regulars were basically a police force for United Fruit Company.

Many of the Corps' WWII combat leaders, such as "Chesty" Puller, first saw combat in Haiti and other Latin American locations interfering in the internal affairs of other nations.

It's been going on for a lot longer than that too. J. Robert Moskin, a noted Marine Corps historian (but not himself a Marine) says of The U.S. Marine Corps Story (ISBN 0-07-043453-0), ". . .It is the story of the meaning and uses, and the price, of our global power. It is, of course, the story of American imperialism. Some of it is praiseworthy; some of it is ugly."

-- Hardliner (searcher@internet.com), March 29, 1999.

To misquote Jay Leno and his Doritos commercial...

Bomb all you want, dont worry, we'll make more

-- chockfullonutz (fruitcake@FRL.com), March 30, 1999.

David,

Same thought crossed my mind when I posted the following on another Serbian thread: Here's a cynical view that - which will never be confirmed because confirmation would mean U.S. officials could get called before world court on big time war crimes.

Take a look at the ordinance that is being used here and in Iraq (last I checked we were still blasting them). The Cruise Mis. and Smart Bombs. Programmable, using GPS guidance.... Suppose you had a warehouse full of non compliant - what do you do? Use em up and replace with freshly manufactured compliant and presto chango you've addressed a couple compliance issues....

Pretty sick (sickening) thought, but I personally wouldn't put anything past the "man" in the whitehouse or military advisers with a heep of Y2K to be fixed...

Musings like this are bad for your mental health, forget I even mentioned it.

(Afer all, how else do we make the postings on Serbia relevant to a Y2K discussion?) jh

-- john hebert (jt_hebert@hotmail.com), March 30, 1999.