The last tank plant in America is turning out only a dozen modernized Abrams tanks per year. Needless to say, there isn’t much left of the tank industrial base and supply chain. President Trump can fix that. In fact, he can fix several problems with one move. By accelerating tank production at the plant to 22 tanks per month — a third the rate of Reagan years — he can fully modernize the Army’s tank fleet in only five years, deter Russian aggression in Europe, and give a boost to manufacturing in the Midwest. The resulting economies would also cut the cost of each tank by 15%, compared with Army plans for modernizing its tanks. The Army plan would take until the 2040s to complete, and cost $3.6 billion more. Accelerated modernization is a win-win for warfighters, workers, and everyone else who wants to see Washington get back to basics. I have written a commentary for Forbes here.
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