patrick.net

Fuck you, but please keep buying our weapons so we can maintain control over reselling and targeting decisions?

U.S. officials have told European allies they want them to keep buying American-made arms, amid recent moves by the European Union to limit U.S. manufacturers' participation in weapons tenders, five sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The messages delivered by Washington in recent weeks come as the EU takes steps to boost Europe's weapons industry, while potentially limiting purchases of certain types of U.S. arms.

We generally deliver export versions of products, with reduced capabilities. Same as the Russkis, who supplied the Iranian Revolutionary Guard with T-72 tanks without IR sights and Manual (crank) Turret Traverse, for example.

Gotta maintain that superiority!

In WW2, Swedish Bofors 40mm Guns were used by other sides. The crafty Swedes allowed the German Krupp arms maker to see new arms developments prior to WW2. Granted, Krupp owned an illegally-high +30% share of Bofors during Hitler's rise to power before WW2. Swedes are crooked, and anything but neutral. They shipped steel to Germany during most of WW2, remaining "neutral." This was also to avoid getting invaded by Germany, unlike Norway and Finland, Sweden's neighbors who stood up to the Axis. The US pursued diplomatic means to stop Swedish steel sales to Germany, but the Swedes didn't agree to stop until it was clear Germany was losing the war.