What do systems engineers wrongly assume?
On of the key mis-assumptions in modern Systems Engineering and Systems Analysis is that the total problem can, and frequently is, decomposed into subproblems, the […]
Month: January 2020
The most important unresolved aspect of acquisition reform
New guidance for middle tier acquisitions at the Department of Defense looks to clarify the authorities that procurement professionals can use. However, experts like Eric […]
Can the F-35 reach $25K per flying hour target by FY 2033? It depends…
It’s possible for the F-35 program to reach its target of $25,000 per flying hour, but only if there’s a substantial change… The F-35 […]
Russia’s military procurement with Richard Connolly
Dr. Richard Connolly joined me on the Acquisition Talk podcast to discuss a wide range of issues, including Russia’s GPV modernization programs, the effect of […]
Acquisition headlines
The Story of China’s Aircraft Carrier Launch Is Flat Out Strange. A slice: “… the carrier was actually a rogue acquisition for the Chinese military […]
More inklings that OSD will be taking power back from the services
For the past few years, acquisition reform has brought with it a delegation of decisions from the Office of the Secretary of Defense down to […]
GMU Center for Govt Contracting fills an academic void
George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, officially kicked off the Center for Government Contracting to fill an academic and research void. “The vision of […]
Why are OTAs plagued by references to FAR clauses?
One of the biggest failures of FAR 12 [commercial] contracting has been DoD’s unwillingness to proactively use these commercial of a type procedures because of […]
Is it a paradox for leadership to protect the innovators?
… the leader has always to be doing two apparently incompatible things. He has to encourage his administrators to promote order, to maintain established routines. […]
How should cost estimators respond to rapid acquisition?
As the Department of Defense keeps up the pressure on rapid acquisition, all functional areas are wondering how they can best support the policies. Cost […]
EVMS is not well suited to an Agile environment
Problem: DoD established use of EVM as a requirement for periodically measuring linear programs with firm baselines established prior to starting development. EVM is not […]
Acquisition headlines
Powerful Example: F-22 Program Office uses DevOps on a Hardware Platform. Recommended. On agile = level of effort: “To properly match the contractor effort with […]
F-16 running on Kubernetes and the challenges of a disconnected environment
Just like almost everything else, military organizations increasingly depend on software, and they are turning to an array of open source cloud tools like Kubernetes […]
New policy may put the breaks on rapid acquisition
USD(A&S), however, can still disapprove any MTA [Middle Tier Acquisition] program, whether major or non-major. With advisers from all around the Office of the Secretary […]
How the F-15 avoided a disastrous design
Here is a part of Jack Neufeld’s history of the F-15 development, “The F-15 Eagle: Origins and Development 1964 – 1972.” Indeed, the emphasis on […]