The Detroit News. The Crusader will take 18 years to reach battlefield troops, may be too heavy to airlift and won't end up anywhere near its original design. If its automatic loading systems fail, U.S. troops could be trapped in the Crusader's box on wheels with no way to fire back at the enemy.
Crusader keeps rolling along because it's got friends in high places.
And since the Cold War ended and there is no higher purpose, the political process is even more potent in guiding weapons programs. Carlyle, 11th largest U.S. defense contractor, owns United Defense Armament Systems. Washington's a Navy town. As history shows, a president proposes and Congress disposes. Whether it's a Crusader or a carrier, concern for defense jobs crosses party and ideological lines.