Historical Background
The book chronicles a broader history from the 1950s to the mid-1980s, encompassing the time when the "Reformer Movement" sought to bring The Pentagon equipment acquisition process to a requirements based system rather than the prevailing equipment-based system that leans on supplier promises.
The reformers were led, philosophically, by US Air Force Colonel John Boyd and Franklin C. "Chuck" Spinney, and went on to include members of both houses of the U.S. Congress. They were receiving input from disaffected members of the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Marines. This largely uncoordinated group used the media to disseminate the true evaluations of equipment acquisitions that were going over budget and over time with lower than expected performance. Meanwhile, they created the atmosphere for the acquisition of useful equipment such as the A-10 Thunderbolt II and F-16 aircraft that were disliked by the 'establishment' Pentagon hierarchy.
Read more about this topic: The Pentagon Wars
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