Amazing....story about American pilot's problems in Djibouti

[Buckrub]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/miscues-at-us-counterterrorism-base-put-aircraft-in-danger-documents-show/2015/04/30/39038d5a-e9bb-11e4-9a6a-c1ab95a0600b_story.html

[Thumper]

Wouldn't it be cheaper and much more efficient to anchor an American aircraft carrier in International waters of the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Yemen and Somalia?

[Buckrub]

Whose?
This airport handles multiple countries.

And I doubt a carrier can handle 30,000 landings a year, much less even one of, say, a 737.

[Thumper]

Ha ha ha! I ain't talkin' about commercial flights dufus.


From Djibouti, the U.S. military flies fighter jets, spy planes, cargo aircraft, helicopters and a large fleet of Predator and Reaper drones. They share airspace with major carriers such as Air France, Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways and Ethiopian Airlines.

Let Ethiopean Airlines train the civilian Air Traffic Controllers. Why should we pay for their training? The Japanese and French also have a military presence there and share the base ... let them do it.


Unlike other major U.S. military bases around the world, Camp Lemonnier is wholly dependent on civilian air-traffic controllers, hired by the government of Djibouti to keep the skies safe.

We're getting ready to spend an ADDITIONAL $1.4 billion to upgrade Camp Lemonnier (not counting what we've already put into it to build it in the first place). We blew another $7 million on sending FAA trainers over there for nothing. PLUS we pay the fuckers another $63 million/year for the "privledge" to use the property! And they're bitching because WE didn't upgrade the old French radar? WTF?


Also posing a problem was a lack of modern equipment, including an air traffic radar system. The Djiboutians relied on an aging French air defense radar that was not certified for air traffic. Djiboutian officials said the U.S. military had promised them a new radar but never made good on the commitment.

If I rent an apartment and the a/c breaks down, why should I pay for it?

[Buckrub]

Because you're hot, and no one else has a clue, maybe?

[Thumper]

Never thought of it that way. You may be right ... all my life, wimmins have been telling me I'm hot! :D