The complexity of squeezing data out of the Army
While the Army has mountains of relevant data, it is not always readily accessible, verified or authoritative. Compounding the matter even further, data is frequently […]
Blog Posts
MDA to take the lead on satellites that track hypersonic, ballistic missiles
Draft legislation before a key Senate panel would assign the Missile Defense Agency responsibility for developing the Space Sensor Layer, bucking a Defense Department gambit […]
Acquisition headlines
ispace becomes the first private Chinese company to launch satellites to orbit. Weights 68K lbs and can carry around 575 lbs. Note that China had […]
Rigidity is a consequence of central planning
With centralization, one set of views plays a greater role in decision-making, and dissenting views play lesser roles. In other words, there are fewer checks […]
The last thing software will eat: project selection
Tyler: What’s the last thing software will eat? Marc: I think its fundamentally — the term that you used was project selection — and […]
Podcast: Bruce Cameron on technology strategies and architecture
I was pleased to have Bruce Cameron on the Acquisition Talk podcast. He is the director of the System Architecture Lab at Massachusetts Institute of […]
Air Force pitch day, what’s next?
On March 6-7, we held our inaugural Air Force Pitch Day in New York. We invited small businesses from across the country to pitch their […]
Performance of defense satellite programs
SBIRS-GEO, GPS IIF, AEHF, and WGS all experienced delays in the launch of their first satellites. Although six years from ATP to first launch of […]
Opportunities and challenges for the program manager
For bringing innovative solutions to the Department of Defense, the contract mechanism is an important tool. But contracts are more than a tool for stating […]
Acquisition headlines
The LCS failure is starting to hit mainstream news: The Navy spent $30B and 16 years to fight Iran with a littoral combat ship that […]
Pitch an AI project in 99 words
The Pentagon’s year-old Joint Artificial Intelligence Center is giving all comers until July 26th to submit proposals for cyber and information warfare. Companies whose ideas catch JAIC’s eye […]
Software requires a faster funding process
The DOD’s process for obtaining funding for new acquisition programs typically takes multiple years. To address a DOD capability shortfall, the shortfall must be linked […]
4 recommendations from George Stigler on weapons acquisition
1. No organization can achieve or maintain efficiency in structure or operation by having a critical review made by expert outsiders once each five or […]
Pace of innovation in the world of bits and atoms
Are people’s living standards improving? Silicon Valley says yes, but their story is at odds with what people are experiencing on the ground. There’s been […]
$25K per flying hour cost target unlikely for the F-35
The Pentagon is holding to its F-35A sustainment target cost of $25,000 per flying hour by fiscal year 2025, despite multiple internal assessments that argue the […]