My father was an engineer. He couldn't believe the amounts of their own money that companies had to spend on R&D. Then the gov would end up buying something else instead that had been developed with gov money. (It didn't matter if it was actually better or not.)
After losing companies were left holding the R&D bag, the government would then tell them who they could or couldn't sell their stuff to.
Northrop's F20 Tigershark comes to mind. WE should have bought that jewel!
The best book on this subject, generally, is “THE LEGACY OF THE WHITE OAK LABORATORY.” (Naval Ordinance Labs.) It is an absolutely awesome read for anyone with a scientific mind and a sense of humor - and drama.