Could blockchain help solve JADC2’s composability problem?
Here’s Naval Ravikant’s response to a question from Tim Ferriss on the meaning of “composable” in the context of crypto and software development: The beauty […]
Blog Posts
Why the defense industry competes for “required” systems where 80-90% of the cost is preset
Here is Robert J. Judson, Adjunct Prof at NPS, at a 1975 congressional hearing: You will see, if you look next at all of the […]
Acquisition headlines (11/1 – 11/7/2021)
Navy task completes first unmanned at sea integration exercise. (Aerotech News) “During the two-day training exercise, Task Force 59 integrated and evaluated new MANTAS T-12 […]
How can the SBIR/STTR process be more welcoming to startups?
Here are some good recommendations from USAF contracting officers Steven Groenheim and John Diekel, Restructuring the SBIR/STTR process: First, we should consider overhauling the application […]
The damage to R&D caused by bureaucrats planning the creative process
Here’s a letter from Bill McClean, chief at Navy’s China Lake and led the Sidewinder development, to the deputy chief of Naval Operations: We find […]
There are 50 single-points of failure in the microchip supply chain — Challenges of industrial policy
I am a fan of the way interdependency makes war between great powers illogical — because the supply chain for microchips are many, many countries […]
We’re never going to beat China with that kind of oversight!
Here is a Air Force head of contracting authority Maj. Gen. Cameron Holt discussing an interesting new proposal: [Line of Effort] 3 is called “owning […]
Acquisition headlines (10/25 – 10/31/2021)
Space Development Agency’s request for bids challenged for ‘risk’ imposed on contractors. (Space News) “Maxar believed that the terms of the Space Development Agency’s satellite […]
The great debate on how continuing resolutions affect DoD
DOD officials said continuing resolutions can delay their ability to pay for goods or services and can lead to repetitive administrative tasks or incremental planning. […]
Podcast: The next-generation of combat UAVs with Joseph Murray and Andrew Van Timmeren
I was pleased to have on the Acquisition Talk podcast Joseph Murray and Andrew Van Timmeren. Joe is the co-founder of Blue Force Technologies, a […]
Flyvbjerg forcefully explains why megaprojects should be more modular
I’ve researched and consulted on megaprojects for more than 30 years, and I’ve found that two factors play a critical role in determining whether an […]
Stanley McCrystal on risk taking and military leadership
Here’s one of the two factors that Stanley McCrystal finds important in a military leader: … the ability to make a decision with uncertainty. I’ve […]
Acquisition headlines (10/18 – 10/24/2021)
Algorithmic warfare: new navy task force focused on AI, robotics. (National Defense Magazine) ” The standing up of Task Force 59 will allow officials to […]
Senate appropriators support PPBE reform, provided some cautions
Several recent studies have examined the planning, programming, budgeting, and execution [PPBE] process of the Department of Defense, and have recommended various improvements. Chief among […]
Resolving the cognitive dissonance in naval planning
The U.S. Navy now faces contradictory demands. On the one hand, Congress and others are telling it to heed the lessons of recent catastrophes and […]