For reference, you can buy a decent > 300hp tractor for 80k. Isnt it absurd that these expendable missiles are on the same price range as a whole damn tractor 😂
Even putting aside the obvious grift/profit factor of these being made by capitalist companies, the raw materials and engineering that goes into making something that can maneuver at Mach 10 while trying to hit a moving target also moving at Mach 10 aren't cheap.
A massive amount of the cost comes from the computers, miniaturized guidance and targeting systems, the immense engineering and comp-sci R&D behind those devices, and the sheer difficulty of designing good explosives.
Even dumb bombs are expensive if you don't want them to dud, explode randomly, not be aerodynamic, and so on.
That’s extremely cheap, most modern munitions are hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars.
Even a 70’s rinky dink Soviet Strela-2 MANPAD is $120,000 per unit.
For reference, you can buy a decent > 300hp tractor for 80k. Isnt it absurd that these expendable missiles are on the same price range as a whole damn tractor 😂
Even putting aside the obvious grift/profit factor of these being made by capitalist companies, the raw materials and engineering that goes into making something that can maneuver at Mach 10 while trying to hit a moving target also moving at Mach 10 aren't cheap.
A massive amount of the cost comes from the computers, miniaturized guidance and targeting systems, the immense engineering and comp-sci R&D behind those devices, and the sheer difficulty of designing good explosives.
Even dumb bombs are expensive if you don't want them to dud, explode randomly, not be aerodynamic, and so on.