NationStates Jolt Archive

With the procurement of two sets of factory, and factory-related equipment from Leafanistan the Ministry of Defence in association with the Ministry of Industry have announced the formation of the newest National Corporation, Iragian Defence Systems, to be run by Brigadier General Killean. IDS will be dedicated to the research and development, and production of new equipment for the various security forces of the People's Republic.

For the time being IDS will focus on arming and supplying the needs of the Liberation Forces of the People's Republic of Iragia, the Army of the People's Republic, the Civil Defence Corps, and the Home Guard. However, with the large scale manufacturing capabilities provided by the new facilities it is expected that equipment will be available for export within a year.

Systems presently planned for manufacture, and that will be made available for export are:

- Mortar systems, conventional 60mm, 81mm, and 120mm systems as well as a planned autoloading 81mm and 120mm mortar.
- Recoilless Rifles, 90mm man-portable systems, and larger 106mm and 125mm systems
- Trucks, 1/4 ton, 2.5 ton, and 5 ton trucks for a variety of logistical duties
- Utility Vehicles, for personnel and cargo transport, use on base, patrol, convoy escort, and light combat vehicles
- Small arms, production of update AK weapons, light machine guns, and sidearms
- Explosives, grenades, AP mines, AT mines, and demolition systems
- Armoured Vehicles, the projected ILV family of light armoured vehicles presently in development
- Personal kit, uniforms, web gear, packs, boots, flak vests, and combat helmets

Atopian Military Industries is unfortunately uninterested in your products. The Atopian Ministry of War would, however, like to give you eight million AK-74s with 500 rounds plus five magazines for each weapon. We have plenty to spare.

[ OOC: This price is ridiculous for a mortar, which is basically a tube of metal. And there's nothing to improve there. I doubt you'll find a lot of customers.

Also, handheld mortar is too hard to use normally by a human. Normally it needs some kind of base plate, even when called handheld. But not as heavy one. ]

OOC: In all honesty, I had no idea what a mortar would cost, I just looked at the price from a different storefront and based it on that. I'll change the price and change the stats a bit, I was lazy and simply wanted something to post up and stole the stats for the canadian army mortar. UPDATE: Scratch that, I just found an average unit price for a US army 60mm mortar, around $10,658. This actually makes sense to me, and calling it 'just a metal tube' is a bit innacurate, as it is somewhat more complicated than that.

[ OOC: That's likely the same cost as $6 million for Stinger. Of course, there are the bipod and the base plate, but the only expensive part in a mortar is sights, but not that expensive. For NS, charging it for a weapon lacking detail might be uncompetitive. ]

OOC:
The pricing of military equipment is a funny old game as outside of items that are somewhat availble to the public (i.e. small arms) finding prices can be fustratingly difficult with msot of the prices beign availble as aquisition program costs over anumber of units and of course these program prices never include just the top line items but al sort of other thigns likes spares, ammo and a new hummer for the general's wife.
$6k would probabaly be more than justifiable if you were to include a fire computer/controller device with it andeven if the actual computer bit isn't much better than a bog standard PDA you cna still get away with charging 10x the rpice of said PDA (based on the admittedly rough calculations www.theregister.co.uk made on how much it would cost to biuld the UK FIST system using off the shelf products).

If you wanted even more justifcation for the rpice you coudl always throw in an acessory kit similar to the one denel provide details of which can be found here: http://www.denel.co.za/Landsystems/Light_Ordnance.asp

OOC: Yes, right. Often cited PAC is just total -program- cost divided by number of units. It may include ammunition (which can be expensive), and may exceed export price.

For electronics, and the rest, this generally should be mentioned. Mortars can range from really a tube with a metal plate like M2 or M19 mortars, to the Soviet Vasilek automatic high-velocity mortar.

So if you're making something advanced - making a description is a good idea. The common practice is that if one has "5.56mm rifle", "60mm mortar", etc., the opponent assumes the most common, simple model, not something advanced - so experienced customers tend to prefer more detailed designs.

OOC: To keep it simple, I'll simply take it down. I would like to do a detailed description and change stats around but I don't have time right now.