Military vs. Civilian Spending
Think what might happen with just a few fewer tanks... --> Over 8,800 M1 and M1A1 tanks have been produced for the US Army and Marine Corps, (and a relative few for the armies of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait) at a cost of US $2.35–$4.30 million per unit, depending on the variant. (“top-of-the-line” = $4.3 million) The M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank is made by General Dynamics Land Systems. Supporting the Abrams is a Tank Recovery Vehicle. The United States Army requirement is for 595 M88A2 HERCULES recovery vehicles, the Marine Corps requirement was originally for 60 vehicles (now 66).The US Army has fielded 157 HERCULES and the US Marine Corps all its planned HERCULES. Unitary Cost: USD $2.0 million. The Hercules is made by BAE Systems (AirBus, etc.). Both vehicles are totally paid for with taxpayer dollars. The top-of-the-line combine John Deere offers is the 9870 STS.Manufacturer's suggested list price: $