Made-In-Woodstock Fans Are Probably Being Used in Saudi War Crimes In Yemen

On 12 April, a Woodstock, NY, company contracted with the Defense Department to supply 3 ventilating fans (for $18,342) for delivery to:
"MINISTRY OF DEFENSE AND AVIATION
ROYAL SAUDI AIR DEFENSE FORCES
SUPPLY SPT BASE SSB ICP SP PTS
JEDDAH KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA"

What aircraft are the fans destined for? We have no information in this case, but it might well be the fleet of F-15s which Saudi Arabia, a "fervent user" of the F-15, deploys in its air strikes on Yemen, apparent war crimes (according to Human Rights Watch), with results pictured here in a photo from NY Daily News.

Who's paying? This contract is paid for by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), who proudly tell us that in 2015 they "managed $455 billion in Foreign Military Sales (reimbursed by foreign governments)" so we guess they got their money back from the Saudis.

What about the price? Well, the $6,114-each price tag does seem to be a bit more than fans in Rotron's military contracts destined for US aircraft, which tend to run at around $700 to $3,500 a unit. Perhaps these are extra special fans, or perhaps the Royal Saudis are paying a premium for this abettance of their war crimes. After all, they can afford it, can't they?

We reported last year on Woodstock's contribution to cluster-bombing in Yemen, another possible Saudi war crime.

Super Hornet and the Woodstock Ball Bearings

We have decided to look at a random sample of recent Defense Department weapons contracts won by Woodstock, NY companies.

The F18 E/F Super Hornet fighter/attack aircraft (pictured here with its "Weapons Load-out") flies on ball-bearings made in Woodstock, NY. Our town's biggest employer Ametek Rotron has gained a Pentagon contract for $1,836 (dated May 24) to supply 18 ball bearings for the warplane, which first strutted its stuff in Desert Storm in 2003. We have reported before on Rotron's previous trade in these high-tech weapons components. In the latest contract the ball bearings are priced at $102  each.