Trillions for Military Technology : How the Pentagon Innovates and Why It Costs So Much

Trillions for Military Technology explains why the weapons purchased by the U.S. Department of Defense cost so much, why it takes decades to get them into production even as innovation in the civilian economy becomes ever more frenetic, and why some of those weapons don't work very well despite expenditures of many billions of dollars. It also explains what do about these problems. The author argues that the internal politics of the armed services make weapons acquisition almost unmanageable. Solutions require empowering civilian officials and reforms that will bring choice of weapons "into the sunshine" of public debate. Front Matter....Pages i-xiii Choosing Weapons....Pages 1-13 Technology and Doctrine....Pages 15-27 Korea and its Aftermath: The Shift to High Technology....Pages 29-47 Understanding Acquisition....Pages 49-70 Organizing for Defense....Pages 71-87 Buying Military Systems: What the Services Want and What They Get....Pages 89-106 Research and Weapons Design....Pages 107-127 Complex Systems and the Revolution in Military Affairs....Pages 129-148 Innovation and Learning in Peace and in War....Pages 149-169 Generation of Variety and Selection of Innovations....Pages 171-188 Taking Reform Seriously....Pages 189-207 Back Matter....Pages 209-265 This book explains why the weapons purchased by the U.S. Department of Defense cost so much, why it takes decades to get them into production even as innovation in the civilian economy becomes more frenetic, and why some weapons don't work very well despite expenditures of many billions of dollars