Word: firetraps
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...gulf war has sharply transformed the survival prospects for some of the military's most expensive weapons systems. Before confronting Saddam Hussein's forces, the $1.1 million Bradley fighting vehicle had been derided as a firetrap that left its underprotected three-member crew vulnerable to a fiery death from an enemy hit. The $3.2 million M1A1 Abrams tank was criticized as an overpriced gas-guzzler prone to mechanical breakdowns. The $11.7 million Apache was depicted as difficult to maintain in a desert. The Patriot was just another overpriced antiaircraft weapon never tested against missiles in combat. But now, says Gordon...
Muscovites may see the ornate ochre building on Tchaikovsky Street that houses the U.S. embassy as an imposing place. But the diplomats who work in the 19th century, 10-story structure consider it a dilapidated firetrap. Last week the building lived up to its sorry reputation as flames swept through the top floors, forcing the evacuation of 200 people. One American and one Soviet fireman were treated for smoke inhalation. The conflagration, the third to break out since 1977, is believed to have started accidentally in an elevator shaft before spreading to the upper floors and roof...