Re: Let's make planes that can't fly......
Incompetence on this scale HAS to be deliberately 'generated' by the manufacturer(s), it's beyond credible that an even half way capable manager could allow things to get this out of hand.
It goes beyond that. It's called "gold plating" on a project. Start off with a need for a fighter plane. Specs are drawn up and passed around for review. The AF (and the other services are just as guilty) generals and procurement types come up with thing to add... capabilities, weapons, electronics. It ends up not being a lean, mean fighter but a hodge-podge thrown together the occasionally gets off the ground.
There's promotions at stake here for those who "gold plate" designs and assurance of a nice fat cat job in the defense industry when they retire.
Back decades ago before I got into IT, I was a tech writer in the defense industry I saw this mission creep and gold plating in tank design, aircraft, and even in one sorry case for a "portable sewing machine shop" that started off with 6 sewing machines, a tent, a generator and carried on a trailer to repair soldiers clothing... and issued to reserve units. Very quickly the price tripled as everyone added things. Similar things occurred with tanks and aircraft. The F35 shows that procurement hasn't changed much.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
