I know someone who worked in finance at a big defense contractor building items for the Air Force. Exactly the same problems: endless, idiotic change orders, shutting & restarting production lines, etc. Foreign orders came in, were completed, and went out the door faster than one of the same items for DOD.
US procurement money pays for the process of procurement, not delivering working weapons systems. In that sense, it's perfect in doing what it was designed to do.
“US procurement money pays for the process of procurement, not delivering working weapons systems”
That’s the point. The production of a working “system” is ancillary, almost incidental. What’s important is that the process was completed without anything that a jerk like John Conyers could throw rocks at in a Congressional hearing.
Don’t blame the companies. They do what they’re told. And that’s the system. As mandated by dumbthugs elected by drooling halfwits.