I think it's those performance based specs that we went to. Instead of the Navy telling the contractor what to build, the contractor does what they want and the taxpayers pay. The incremental or spiral builds, while understandable, truly do cause problems, even though you get more as technology improves. (or that's what is supposed to happen, anyway).
Nothing wrong with performance specs. But if you're going to use them, you have to build prototypes first, and it's a good idea to fund more than one of them, from different contractors. Competition for the production buy keeps 'em honest, more or less (and I have been a defense contractor employee for almost 3 decades, I know how it is on the inside) and you don't commit large amounts for production of untried systems, or systems that you just "gotta have" because nothing else is available.
However if going to that sort of system, you also have to leave the contractor alone for more than a quarter. Have a few meetings/conferences early on to be sure they really know what is needed, then let them build the thing. (If they are worth the powder to blow them up, they should already know, but many , especially as you move away from major weapons systems, haven't a clue, they just want to sell something. I'm involved with one of those in my current capacity as a consultant type contractor. I'm sick to death of meetings which spend alot of time, and money, accomplishing very little. Especially given that the contract isn't going to be canceled at least until the prototypes are built, and don't work, unless for budgetary reasons)
The incremental or spiral builds, while understandable, truly do cause problems, even though you get more as technology improves. (or that's what is supposed to happen, anyway).
With the emphasis on "supposed". Instead what seems to happen is that requirements are pushed off to later spirals, as money runs short, or technical obstacles are encountered, or as it becomes obvious the contractor doesn't really have a clue as to how to satisfy those requirements, as he said he did in his proposal.