General Dynamics: Blame the Soldier, Not the Billions
Yes, according to the FT, an unnamed General Dynamics manager suggested that UK military crews, not the vehicle’s design or manufacturing, caused the Ajax armoured vehicle's issues – issues that include excessive vibration causing hearing damage and chronic motion sickness. This isn't just a PR blunder; it's a classic maneuver by defense contractors. It echoes familiar dodges observed with
everything from the F-35's software glitches (cost: $1.7 trillion and counting) to countless other projects where profit margins soar while performance lags. One might wonder if the crews were also responsible for the $3.2 billion spent on these troubled vehicles. This blame-shifting conveniently sidesteps the billions in taxpayer money funneled into these seemingly perpetual 'developmental'
stages. It's a tale as old as time: contractors get paid, politicians sign off, and if the product fails, it's always the end-user who just isn't 'operating it correctly.' How many design flaws can be attributed to 'operator error' before we start questioning the engineers on a multi-billion dollar project?