Posted on 02/10/2011 5:39:25 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
The top brass at the Pentagon is signaling in no uncertain terms that the defense industry needs to clean up its act and accept that the government can no longer throw away money on ill-conceived military projects.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz on Wednesday had some tough talk for defense contractors, saying firms must stop “blowing smoke” and over-promising about what they can deliver.
“Don’t blow smoke up my ass” about what a military platform can do and when it will be ready, Schwartz told a tense and silent ballroom filled with defense industry executives. “There’s no time for it. There’s no patience for it. OK?”
The comments were the latest example of Pentagon officials speaking bluntly about the future of the U.S. defense sector, which they say must change rapidly to accommodate the nation’s new fiscal reality.
Fine, General, then don't blow smoke up industry's ass about how many units you're going to purchase over the life of a project.
Them evil defense profiteers must not have knowed they was messin with a member of the tribe.
I support the American Defense Industrial complex, which has provided us with great innovations and products, but they have been rather lazy in regards to delivering weapons.
This was for public consumption, this guy will be interviewing with these same companies in a few months/years so don’t expect much to really change. Just propaganda for the sheeple.
I agree General, maybe you also oughta think about reigning in your program managers and stop changing the requirements in mid or post design.
The Pentagon needs to add clauses in the contracts that if the contractor is late with a particular project that they will be penalized.If they finish before the contract date they will be rewarded.
Who writes the spec's, General? Usually there's enough blame to go around in situations like this.
I agree
Does the government have any role in the "conception" process? Did they send out an RFP? Did they eventually sign the contracts?
Please...contractors love change orders. Every change order asked for by the government equals additional $$$$$$$$$$$ for the contractor. I have never seen a contractor say “no” to a proposed change and I have never seen one perform a change for free unless the change is being made to correct mistakes of their own doing.
“I agree General, maybe you also oughta think about reigning in your program managers and stop changing the requirements in mid or post design.”
I think we can do with fewer Generals/Admirals. If we had good ones, we wouldn’t be rebuking contractors as an excuse for poor management.
Way above you pay grade there yo-yo. The american people have had enough.
I can blow smoke rings out of my ass. I have the nicotine stains to prove it.
Last time I checked, the gov’t was in charge. If they can’t get it right the first time, why should business subsidize their ineptitude?
I would be very careful about making a case based on GS employee competence....
Be careful about making a case based on government competence at all!
It’s a good pic, but he’s not giving out free money. It’s money with a huge interest tag attached. It needs come from a bag of “chinese debt” or something
Strawman. What you said is correct, but that’s not my point.
Yes, the contractor will take the money for the change order or design change, but at what cost to the program?
Then the contractor gets their ass handed to them when the project is overbudget, late or overweight. Well, who made it overbudget? The gov’t. They changed the design and are the ones writing the checks.
Eventually, the project gets cancelled and the blame is smeared onto the “Evil contractor”.
Presidential helicopter program anyone? The Navy kept adding more and more requirements to the initial design that they approved and eventually the damn thing got too heavy and costly and was subsequently cancelled.
What’s needed are people that will tell the gov’t or contractor management “No” when they need to be told “No” and people that will listen.
We need contractors that won’t just nod their heads and say, “yeah, we can do that.” because they don’t want to upset the “customer” or lose the contract.
Don’t attribute to malfeasance what you can attribute to mere incompetence. And that goes for both parties, contractors and gov’t.
FRegards
An elephant is a mouse built to government (in this case military) specifications.
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