GSA category management, does it put process ahead of value?
Industry has found it challenging to understand where the value proposition is in category management because you don’t see best-in-class measured as a performance issue […]
Month: October 2019
Complexity science, “if-then” propositions, and how to make decisions
I’m interested in complexity science, which, if you’re actually doing complexity science, it releases complexity. For example, in real complexity science, there’s an issue with […]
The debate on OTs and whether they are going to non-traditional contractors
… some observers question whether OTs are effectively bringing nontraditional contractors into the defense marketplace. A DOD Inspector General report examining other transactions from FY1994-FY2001 […]
Acquisition headlines
“NASA’s X-59 QueSST (short for Quiet SuperSonic Technology) is an experimental piloted aircraft designed to fly faster than sound without producing the annoying – if […]
Air Force vanguard programs — can they solve the transition problem?
Guided by strategic capabilities, this [transformational S&T] component will include a focused set of research programs called vanguards. Vanguard programs will advance emerging weapon systems […]
Is the funding process the last unresolved piece of acquisition reform?
Bernie Skoch: As anyone whose spent time in the five sided house of pleasure can tell you, there’s a programming process and there’s a budgeting […]
Air Force gets real on the century series aircraft strategy
Dr. Will Roper, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, officially stood up the Program Executive Office for Advanced Aircraft during […]
Do commercial practices trivialize the challenges of defense acquisition?
In this paper, we consider the latest stage in the on-going organisational evolution of the defence procurement function in Australia which has been dominated by […]
Will Thomas on the history and sciences of R&D policy
I was pleased to speak with Will Thomas on the Acquisition Talk podcast. He is a senior science policy analyst at the American Institute of […]
What are the effects of the credibility gap in defense cost estimates?
A basic assumption, implicit in all of the Cost Panel deliberations and recommendations, is that a significant part of the total credibility problem is the […]
Acquisition headlines
“The BLADE can detect, track, identify, and take down drones with electronic attack, according to the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center.” Recommend that you watch […]
Could Lockheed have forked over 20% of F-35 development costs, like KAI for the KF-X?
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) is expected to complete construction of the first KF-X fighter aircraft prototype by the first half of 2021 and conduct the […]
The Chinese Navy, system of systems, and intangible knowledge
Here’s where I rest my analytical case today. The proof is really in the pudding. If you look at what the PLA Navy is receiving […]
Fitzhugh’s take on task partitioning and fly-before-you-buy
If you break it down into smaller units and you have more contractors in the business… It is not so vital in that situation for […]
Skepticism about carrier costs — they’re growing faster than may be reported
The carrier Ford’s construction costs seem way out of line even allowing for traditional first-in-class elevated costs. In fact, carrier costs seem to have been increasing […]