AMERICANS: Check Out Your Latest Huge Defense Purchases

It seems like the Pentagon was also glued to the television last week, watching the Olympics instead of buying more weapon systems. 

Even though the Department of Defense spent $7.5 billion in a week the last time we checked in on them, the Pentagon cut down on purchasing last week, spending only $3.6 billion.

That's not to say that they didn't buy anything. The Defense Department picked up more SM-3 missiles, billions worth of shipping, and much more during the first week of August.  

America — enjoy your recent purchases:

Up to $1.6 billion worth of international shipping

The Department of Defense has been buying up an unprecedented amount of international shipping lately, with number abnormally above the typical annual purchases. 

This batch of contracts is, however, not really unprecedented. With an international presence, the Military needs bulk international door-to-door and port-to-door shipping to move servicemembers' possessions around the world, and this contract is probably that. 

The firms that split up the pot are World Airways Inc., Liberty Global Logistics, Lake Success, American President Lines, and National Air Cargo Group. 

We've speculated before that these investments in cargo shipping have to do with the pullout of machinery from the Middle East, so of course that remains a possibility. The contract is for $365.7 million in the first year, then up to $1.6 billion over three years. 

$382 million for firetrucks

Well, it's a little bit more complex than that, but that's the gist of it. 

Kovatch Mobile Equipment Corp was awarded a $382.5 million contract for commercial fire and emergency vehicles. 

The military needs ambulances and fire trucks just as much if not more than civilian municipalities. As an international operator of massive airports, nuclear facilities and explosives, the military needs a way to put out fires fast. 

All the branches of the military — as well as federal civilian agencies — will benefit from the contract. 

$77.2 million for more of the SM-3 naval air defense missiles. 

The Missile Defense Agency just exercised another option on the Standard Missile 3 Block IB contract with Raytheon.

Last week, we showed you how this batch of missiles operates, in case you missed it. 

This contract buys nine containers of the still-in-development missiles, to be delivered in the middle of 2013. 

This contract brings the cumulative value of the SM-3 Block IB missile project to $1.7 billion. 

$28.1 million for almost a thousand Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems. 

The Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) is a laser guided missile which has semi-active laser homing and uses a Hydra 70 rocket. BAE Systems is the contractor in this case. 

Particularly interesting about this contract is the fact that, in addition to uses in the Marine Corps, the APKWS system is being integrated into the MQ-8 Fire Scout drone. This purchase — of 985 guidance sections — is contracted specifically by the Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River, Maryland. 

The Naval Air Systems command is the group that oversees the Naval drones. 

Now step aboard the Navy's prized next-generation submarine >  

Please follow Military & Defense on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »