We’ve got quite the story for you: Huge robot arms combusting in flames. Workers beating giant, malfunctioning machines with sledgehammers. An actual dumpster fire.
In our latest investigation, we reveal how U.S. taxpayers sent a half-billion dollars to the defense behemoth General Dynamics to make much-needed 155 mm artillery shells for Ukraine. But the company did not deliver even one. In fact, we learned, the artillery shells were often cracked by the much-hyped machinery that was trying to make them.
Our reporting shows that what became a chain of disasters didn’t happen just by chance; it happened because of human decisions. The story is an industrial comedy of errors at a moment when the U.S. defense budget has soared to a record $1 trillion and the Trump administration hopes to amp that up to $1.5 trillion next fiscal year.
The Army told ProPublica that it exercises “rigorous oversight.” In the case of the General Dynamics factory, it said ”we are evaluating contract performance, seeking recoupment of funds, and pivoting resources.” The company has said it “met or exceeded requirements” for the project and told ProPublica its reporting “fundamentally mischaracterizes the circumstances.”
>With so few shells passing inspection stations along the production line, many workers had nothing to do. A cat-and-mouse game ensued. Bored staffers spent endless hours gazing at their phones, leading supervisors to restrict phone use. So workers began bringing crossword books. Managers nixed those. Some workers were seen sleeping, so supervisors took away chairs.
These are the types of innovative solutions I expect from a top defense contractor!
Seriously, though, this is what taxpayers should expect when the army hasn't been able to present a clean audit ever. There's no accountability, so removing guardrails on contracting is always going to be a disaster. The fact that this project got so far while all involved repeatedly lied about progress without repercussions is egregious, but entirely par for course under the economic system we've developed.
the inability of church bell casters to make cannons and cannonballs in a timely or cost effective manner was why the duke of burgundy centralized artillery production in the 1300s
This was another part of the article that really struck me. General Dynamics bought their way into the artillery production business by purchasing the last remaining producer in the country. Then, they decided to innovate! Throw in some suspicious ties to a foreign contractor (because apparently America isn't a leading robotics designer or anything) and you have a bunch of church bell casters trying to make advanced artillery shells.
It's pretty appalling that they were able to buy up an essential piece of defense production. And then nobody questioned it when they sold their expertise while simultaneously throwing out the designs they had bought, which was their only real expertise to begin with.
We’re going to end up producing Stupid Skynet, it’s AI and wants to exterminate humanity but non of its automated machines work properly so all it does is cause it’s own equipment to break down and burst into flames.
[OP] propublica_ | 6 hours ago
Hey r/TrueReddit,
We’ve got quite the story for you: Huge robot arms combusting in flames. Workers beating giant, malfunctioning machines with sledgehammers. An actual dumpster fire.
In our latest investigation, we reveal how U.S. taxpayers sent a half-billion dollars to the defense behemoth General Dynamics to make much-needed 155 mm artillery shells for Ukraine. But the company did not deliver even one. In fact, we learned, the artillery shells were often cracked by the much-hyped machinery that was trying to make them.
Our reporting shows that what became a chain of disasters didn’t happen just by chance; it happened because of human decisions. The story is an industrial comedy of errors at a moment when the U.S. defense budget has soared to a record $1 trillion and the Trump administration hopes to amp that up to $1.5 trillion next fiscal year.
Here’s the full investigation: https://www.propublica.org/article/general-dynamics-artillery-factory-failed
The Army told ProPublica that it exercises “rigorous oversight.” In the case of the General Dynamics factory, it said ”we are evaluating contract performance, seeking recoupment of funds, and pivoting resources.” The company has said it “met or exceeded requirements” for the project and told ProPublica its reporting “fundamentally mischaracterizes the circumstances.”
NativeMasshole | 4 hours ago
>With so few shells passing inspection stations along the production line, many workers had nothing to do. A cat-and-mouse game ensued. Bored staffers spent endless hours gazing at their phones, leading supervisors to restrict phone use. So workers began bringing crossword books. Managers nixed those. Some workers were seen sleeping, so supervisors took away chairs.
These are the types of innovative solutions I expect from a top defense contractor!
Seriously, though, this is what taxpayers should expect when the army hasn't been able to present a clean audit ever. There's no accountability, so removing guardrails on contracting is always going to be a disaster. The fact that this project got so far while all involved repeatedly lied about progress without repercussions is egregious, but entirely par for course under the economic system we've developed.
honda-nissan | 3 hours ago
the inability of church bell casters to make cannons and cannonballs in a timely or cost effective manner was why the duke of burgundy centralized artillery production in the 1300s
NativeMasshole | 3 hours ago
This was another part of the article that really struck me. General Dynamics bought their way into the artillery production business by purchasing the last remaining producer in the country. Then, they decided to innovate! Throw in some suspicious ties to a foreign contractor (because apparently America isn't a leading robotics designer or anything) and you have a bunch of church bell casters trying to make advanced artillery shells.
It's pretty appalling that they were able to buy up an essential piece of defense production. And then nobody questioned it when they sold their expertise while simultaneously throwing out the designs they had bought, which was their only real expertise to begin with.
honda-nissan | 3 hours ago
pretty much. this market based society will do anything along capitalist profiteering lines except turn defense over to state armories
Miserable_History795 | 4 hours ago
Anybody remember the Bugs Bunny cartoon where he quality controlled artillery shells by hitting the head with a hammeŕ?
metrazol | 5 hours ago
Base Ops: "Hey now, you can't have that kind of extension cord near that kind of flooring. Fix this immediately."
DoD Offsite Inspectors: "Oh, you just beat the robot to death with a hammer? That's awesome!"
SessileRaptor | 4 hours ago
We’re going to end up producing Stupid Skynet, it’s AI and wants to exterminate humanity but non of its automated machines work properly so all it does is cause it’s own equipment to break down and burst into flames.
mytthew1 | 59 minutes ago
I like that it wasn’t that much money only half a billion dollars. Why worry?