My fears exactly. Weapon Systems acquisition is seriously broken. Everything is too expensive, takes too long, fails to meet full requirements, and ends up being cancelled before actually reaching initial operating capability.
Someone should overhaul how we do acquisitions BEFORE we begin our next humonguous effort.
Based on technology development....I think we’d be better off to just develop long-distance drones that loiter for hours and hours, and then launch if necessary, long-distance missiles.
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Compare the acquisition crimes of today to the A-10 or the Cobra helicopter. Two "back of the envelope" designs that are still going strong. And then there is the B52:
On Thursday, 21 October 1948, Boeing engineers George S. Schairer, Art Carlsen and Vaughn Blumenthal presented the design of a four-engine turboprop bomber to the chief of bomber development, Colonel Pete Warden. Warden was disappointed by the projected aircraft and asked if the Boeing team could come up with a proposal for a four-engine turbojet bomber. Joined by Ed Wells, Boeing vice president of engineering, the engineers worked that night in the Hotel Van Cleve in Dayton, Ohio, redesigning Boeing's proposal as a four-engine turbojet bomber. On Friday, Colonel Warden looked over the information and asked for a better design. Returning to the hotel, the Boeing team was joined by Bob Withington and Maynard Pennell, two top Boeing engineers who were in town on other business.[37]Heck, the B52 required a trip to the hobby shop. Today that would translate to a trillion dollar cost overrun with money raining from the sky for those well connected. And guess what? the result will still be disappointing.By late Friday night, they had laid out what was essentially a new airplane. The new design (464-49) built upon the basic layout of the B-47 Stratojet with 35 degree swept wings, eight engines paired in four underwing pods, and bicycle landing gear with wingtip outrigger wheels.[38] A notable feature of the landing gear was the ability to pivot the main landing gear up to 20° from the aircraft centerline to increase safety during crosswind landings.[39] After a trip to a hobby shop for supplies, Schairer set to work building a model. The rest of the team focused on weight and performance data. Wells, who was also a skilled artist, completed the aircraft drawings. On Sunday, a stenographer was hired to type a clean copy of the proposal. On Monday, Schairer presented Colonel Warden with a neatly bound 33-page proposal and a 14-inch scale model.[37] The aircraft was projected to exceed all design specifications.[40]