THE PRICE OF DEFENSE
We, the US Taxpayer, have spent an inordinate amount of money on developing, procuring, and fielding ever more advanced military hardware. Western governments, especially the United States, are always researching ways to get a leg up on potential, future, opponents. Since the advent of mechanized warfare, technologies have advanced far more rapidly than ever before, with the costs ballooning beyond comprehension.
This equipment does not last forever. At the end of its life cycle, it is scrapped, with few, if any, preserved examples. The costs and investments are written off as normal expenditure.
From before World War I to the Gulf War, I work through the conflicts of the 20th century, examining the developments that contribute to the dramatically rising cost. This projection is arranged as a diptych, considering a selection of the most influential machines of the United States’ land, sea, and air power. It begins at the first adoption of new technologies, stretching to the most modern iterations.
