Critics of government waste shouldn’t just look at the United States military’s annual budget, but also at what it does with some of the equipment after that equipment is past its useful life. Aging military equipment due for replacement are often sold as surplus to US allies at a steep discount—often literally for pennies on the dollar. Earlier this month, for instance, NATO member Poland was given the opportunity to purchase 250 Stryker armored vehicles for a single dollar, or less than half a cent per vehicle!

Polska Zborjna first reported that the United States offered to sell the wheeled armored personnel carriers (APCs) as the Pentagon has sought to reduce its presence in Europe. Rather than paying to ship the vehicles home, it was decided to sell them to Warsaw for the ceremonial figure.

“After a preliminary analysis, we agreed that the military will check their technical condition and assess their suitability for our armed forces — is this good material for training, operational operations, or do we need this type of equipment?” Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz explained to the news outlet. “I’m open to a positive recommendation regarding the usefulness of this equipment.”

Warsaw has been seeking to significantly bolster its military due to concerns that Russia could continue its westward expansion if it achieves victory in Ukraine.

The Polish government has invested heavily, securing deals with South Korea for the K-2 Black Panther main battle tank (MBT), which will also be produced domestically under license. In addition to the South Korean vehicles, Warsaw closed a previous deal with Washington for 366 M1........

© The National Interest