Pentagon Wars – Bradley Fighting Vehicle Evolution
This week’s movie comes by recommendation from John Titus in Money & Markets.
The Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV) is a fighter tank, produced beginning in 1980, that was designed to transport infantry or armored personnel as well as serve as a fast-moving battle tank. The Pentagon needed a response to the Soviets, who were well ahead with their BMP amphibious tracked fighting vehicle in use since 1966.
The development of the BFV, however, became a magnet for Defense Department incompetence, mismanagement, and wastefulness and a symbol of a system that continues to waste public money and trust.
Based on the book The Pentagon Wars: Reformers Challenge the Old Guard by DOD insider and Air Force Colonel James G. Burton, the story lays bare the full corruption as well as disregard for the safety of soldiers and troops in battle when it comes to the procurement of new weapons.
The film packs all of this into a dark yet very funny comedy that provides an enlightening case study of corruption, self-interest, and government money being siphoned into military contracts.
Entertaining and educational.
Full movie available on YouTube.
Related:
The Pentagon Wars on IMDb.
The Bradley Fighting Vehicle on Wikipedia.
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