4 ms·

What's the price the army pays for each one of these?

by gafage 3y ago

Maxion 3y ago
These sort of questions are always a bit meaningless. Do you mean, if they would place an order for +1 unit today, what would they be invoiced for that specific unit? This question is quite irrelevant, because they don't order them one by one. Or, what is the total cost of the project, averaged out onto each unit that has currently been ordered and delivered? Or just ordered? Or planned to be ordered? Each question has a vastly different answer. Or, what is the projected final average cost per unit, once the device has been deprecated in favor of the next generation? These projects always consist of the price of the hardware (which changes), the developmental costs, the internal costs of the staffers in the army (air force? pentagon?) working on the project, maintenance of the device, training for the device, repairs of broken devices, and so forth.
- 1letterunixname 3y ago
  Nevertheless, the excessive price tags of MIC toys is something the public should be privy to. And the terms you're looking for are "amortized" and "TCO".
  - 2OEH8eoCRo0 3y ago
    The public cries about the cost of these things but they also cry when our boys get killed. I'm an optimist. When I see expensive NVGs or other kit I see more soldiers and marines making it home to their families.
  - psunavy03 3y ago
    The military does not play with "toys." Typical couch-potato-who-has-never-served take.
- GartzenDeHaes 3y ago
  Individual units are ordered by military units through the GSA. If anyone happens to have access, there's a per unit cost in the GSA catalog.
icegreentea2 3y ago
The 10,000 unit contract was for 391 million USD back in 2018 - so 39k per unit. They completed that order back in 2022. There are follow up orders, numbers are less firm on that one.
- Maxion 3y ago
  That honestly does not sound too terrible for something so advanced and bespoke. Which cameras cost less than 39k that are manufactured at less than 2500 per year?

What's the price the army pays for each one of these?

by gafage 3y ago

What's the price the army pays for each one of these?

These sort of questions are always a bit meaningless. Do you mean, if they would place an order for +1 unit today, what would they be invoiced for that specific unit? This question is quite irrelevant, because they don't order them one by one. Or, what is the total cost of the project, averaged out onto each unit that has currently been ordered and delivered? Or just ordered? Or planned to be ordered? Each question has a vastly different answer. Or, what is the projected final average cost per unit, once the device has been deprecated in favor of the next generation? These projects always consist of the price of the hardware (which changes), the developmental costs, the internal costs of the staffers in the army (air force? pentagon?) working on the project, maintenance of the device, training for the device, repairs of broken devices, and so forth.

1letterunixname 3y ago
Nevertheless, the excessive price tags of MIC toys is something the public should be privy to. And the terms you're looking for are "amortized" and "TCO".
- 2OEH8eoCRo0 3y ago
  The public cries about the cost of these things but they also cry when our boys get killed. I'm an optimist. When I see expensive NVGs or other kit I see more soldiers and marines making it home to their families.
- psunavy03 3y ago
  The military does not play with "toys." Typical couch-potato-who-has-never-served take.
GartzenDeHaes 3y ago
Individual units are ordered by military units through the GSA. If anyone happens to have access, there's a per unit cost in the GSA catalog.

icegreentea2 3y ago

The 10,000 unit contract was for 391 million USD back in 2018 - so 39k per unit. They completed that order back in 2022. There are follow up orders, numbers are less firm on that one.

Maxion 3y ago
That honestly does not sound too terrible for something so advanced and bespoke. Which cameras cost less than 39k that are manufactured at less than 2500 per year?