This spring, the United Arab Emirates is expected to close a deal for $7 billion dollars’ worth of American arms. Nearly half of the cash will be spent on Patriot missiles, which cost as much as $5.9 million apiece.
But what makes those eye-popping sums even more shocking is that some of the workers manufacturing parts for those Patriot missiles are prisoners, earning as little as 23 cents an hour.
Wired
That's right. A government owned corporation, Unicor, which was established during the depression, employes 20,000 inmates to make ... stuff. Including military electronics.
Unicor'swebsite has a whole page dedicated to Guided Missile Parts.
UNICOR/FPI supplies numerous electronic components and services for guided missiles, including the Patriot Advanced Capability PAC-3) missile. We assemble and distribute the Intermediate Frequency Processor (IFP) for the PAC-3s seeker. The IFP receives and filters radio-frequency signals that guide the missile toward its target.
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The Patriot Advanced Control (PAC-3) missile is launched from canisters, many of which have UNICOR/FPI-manufactured cable assemblies linking the ignition and control systems.
Our wire harnesses, and component and cable assemblies are also employed in the engagement control station whose computing power allows guided missiles discriminate decoys and follow the real target's interception path. UNICOR/FPI wire harnesses also connect electrical components in the solid-fueled rocket motor, transmitting signals that permit the motor to control the missile's trajectory.
OK, rant on.
The defense industry is one of the last good sources of jobs that can't be outsourced because of secrecy or security concerns. I wonder if Lockheed and Raytheon lowered their prices to the Pentagon because they only have to pay $0.23/hour to make these parts? But I don't wonder very much.
Unicor used to make helmets for the military. But that work was suspended when the helmets were found to be shoddy. Excuse me, but if they can't make a helmet how can they make complex electronics? A helmet fails, one soldier dies. A Patriot fails to take out an incoming missile, and the death toll might be in the hundreds.
And while I'm aware the 13th Amendment carved out an exception for penal labor, maybe just because something is Constitutional doesn't mean it should be done.
This is bad for the military and bad for the citizens. This work should be done by people who aren't in prison.