[Shadow_Group] Fw: Running low on bullets

[Dean HICKAM]

Yahoo News!

(The USG/BATF made it so dang tough for American ammo and ordinance
manufacturers to do business, these companies were quickly bankrupted
courtesy of cumbersome legislation. This made it nearly impossible for
these companies to sell ammo to the general public.  So, they ran for the
hills.  They couldn't survive on governmental contracts alone.  Now, the
USG is crying boo hoo over their lack of ammunition.  Heck, they can't
have it both ways.) 

US seeks to buy ammunition from Taiwan as stocks run low after Iraq:
report

Thu Jan 6, 9:15 AM ET   Politics - AFP 
 


TAIPEI (AFP) - The United States is planning to buy hundreds of millions
of bullets from Taiwan in the first such deal as its supplies are running
low after wars in Afghanistan (news - web sites) and Iraq (news - web
sites), a report said. 


Citing Taiwanese military sources, the United Evening News said
Washington had made the request to acquire some 300 million
5.56-millimeter bullets for rifles for an estimated two billion Taiwan
dollars (62.5 million US). 


The deal was yet to be finalized pending price negotiations, it said. 


An unnamed general quoted by the paper said it would be the first time
for Washington, Taiwan's leading arms supplier, to acquire arms from the
island. 


In line with its usual practice, Taiwan's defense ministry declined to
comment on the report. 


Taiwan produces some 400 million such bullets annually, according to the
paper. It added most rifle bullets were manufactured by an arsenal in
southern Kaohsiung which has storage problems due to declining demand in
the absence of any military conflict across the Taiwan Strait. 


The paper also said Taiwan had exported T-91 rifles to several countries
in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. 


Washington Wednesday agreed to sell air-to-ground Hellfire missiles worth
50 million US dollars to Taiwan to help the island defend itself against
threats from rival China. 


"The US Army has executed a letter of agreement with Taiwan, setting the
stage for the sale of more than 400 AGM-114M blast-fragmentation Hellfire
rounds under a foreign military sales contract," US defense giant
Lockheed Martin Corporation said. 


It would take the company about six months to make the Hellfire missiles
ordered by Taiwan. 


The missiles will be mounted on Taiwan's Super Cobra AH-1W attack and
OH-58D Kiowa Warrior scout helicopters. 


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