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It does seem like the competition boiled down to the Navy asking the vendors to take on too much risk for a fixed firm price contract. It's been a long time since Acquisition 101, but isn't this why you have a "Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction" (TMRR) phase? In aircraft development, isn't this the point where you fund a handful of companies to do development, burn down risk, build prototypes, then do a fly-off? Announce the winner, and move on to Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD)? It seems like in this case, the Navy wants to skip the TMRR phase, and go straight to EMD. Which would work, if there wasn't so much risk still baked into their requirements. I speculate because the Navy (like the AF) wants a new trainer, but they want to do it on the cheap.

A lot of shake ups yesterday. It took Miami half the game to figure out how to play without Toney. The faithful are saving we got robbed on the TD catch...I could go either way but the refs gave us good calls in other games so we were due. Win out and we are in...Toney should be back for the ACC title game. UGA stomped Ole Miss...My son was there and by the 3rd quarter the fans were throwing things on the field. Ungood Rebels... Utah looks TOUGH! The truly sad part about yesterday, a parade of powerful November games will have far less meaning next year with a 24 team playoff.

I am fully retired now, but throughout my career, I generally preferred Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) contracts for everything except situations like this. With FFP contracts, I was driven to find efficiencies that could increase profitability. Improvements in manufacturing efficiency, supply chain management, engineering processes, and labor productivity directly improve margins. The problem arises when the government has shifting priorities and requirements, as it did with the T-7. The program is a perfect example of how winning a competitive FFP development contract is not necessarily the same thing as winning a profitable program. The Air Force made three significant changes to the T-7 program and, in my view, attempted to push much of the associated cost onto Boeing. I suspect SNC is concerned the Navy will do something similar. 1. Expanded pilot accommodation requirements The Air Force expanded the required pilot accommodation range, primarily affecting the crew escape system. At contract award, the requirements were based substantially on a 1967 male pilot survey. Two years after the award, the Air Force changed the requirement to accommodate the central 95% of the U.S. recruiting population, including women weighing as little as 103 pounds. This was a significant and expensive engineering change to the aircraft. 2. Evolving training performance requirements The training performance requirements were not fully defined at the outset. To its credit, the Air Force wanted a platform that was not simply a replacement for the T-38, but a better training aid for fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft. Initial testing revealed that the aircraft did not meet the sustained-G performance metrics and exhibited significant wing rock at high angles of attack (AOA). The Air Force offered to pay the increased engineering costs to address these issues, but those costs were not fully burdened, and Boeing lost significant money implementing some of the fixes. Ultimately, the Air Force lowered some of the performance requirements. 3. Changes to the procurement strategy When a company bids on a contract, particularly an FFP contract, much of the anticipated profit comes in the out-years as production ramps up. If you slip the schedule by a year and reduce the number of aircraft purchased each year, the financial impact on the vendor can be devastating. Based on the original schedule, Boeing purchased many long-lead items in advance to reduce costs and meet delivery requirements. When the Air Force changed the procurement strategy, Boeing was left holding the bag on much of that supply chain commitment. From a taxpayer perspective, FFP contracts are generally a good thing. You budget for a capability and spend within that budget unless you change the requirements. They also incentivize companies to invest their own money in Independent Research and Development (IR&D), which drives innovation throughout the U.S. defense industry. The situation under Trump has been different because the government injected significant amounts of money into defense programs all at once. Prior to that, the Department of Defense was increasingly asking industry to assume all the risk, only to occasionally cancel programs after companies had invested tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars in development. The Light Attack program is a perfect example. The Air Force spent relatively little while promising to purchase hundreds of aircraft, a commitment that never materialized. I know several CEOs who went to the Pentagon after that and a few other similar incidents and essentially said, "We won't play this game again." Justifiably so. They have a fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders. I know of two occasions when my former company flat-out said, "NO THANKS" when the Air Force asked us to bid on something. The service was incredulous, and the Secretary of the Air Force eventually engaged our CEO directly. His response was essentially: Either you fund the development upfront or give us a contract. If not, adios. I highly suspect that was the same calculus SNC used in making its decision.

Over 1,000 days.

Thanks!

No way, not possible. Some acquisitions LT knows better.

https://recovertactical.com/product/p-ix-modular-ar-platform-for-pistols-for-glock/

What is that?

Even bigger questions in the Texas State Guard. There has been a push to move that organization out of the TMD and into TDEM, making it a civilian agency. The new TAG will be a huge influence over that decision, and if it's one of the forerunners, that greatly increases its likelihood! For those not familiar, the TXSG is a state defense force that mainly conducts emergency management missions under the TMD. It is considered the third branch of the Department alongside the TXARNG and TXANG. It is mainly unpaid volunteers but does use a military structure (organizationally, uniforms, ranks, etc.). Unlike the National Guard, the TXSG cannot be federalized and serves only under the authority of the Governor of Texas. At the height of World War II, every state maintained some form of state guard while the National Guard was Federalized; but currently only about 20 other states and Puerto Rico have similar organizations, with Texas being the biggest followed by California and Florida...

Maybe the government actually needs to figure out what requirements they want by, I dunno, talking to operators and maintainers who fly and work on aircraft? Stop letting retard aquitition officers and civilians throw bullshit in RFI/RFPs, then get pissy when it's almost impossible to keep a timeline due to moving or impossible requirements. This is coming from someone who worked on the KC-46 contract, drafting contract change proposals, engineering change proposals, basis of estimates, responding to RFI/RFP/PCOLs, and currently works on the F-16 program.

Wife's a Ute, so she was happy about them being the Cougars. My OK State Pokes are currently demolishing Kansas State.

Doubtful in the next 2 years. TBD beyond that.

Big question is will we have another DOD mandated "down" day to talk about diversity/equity/inclusion.........

Lots of interest here in the Texas Guard about the future of the Texas Military Department. Having lost all of the statewide elections, we are waiting to see what significant changes come down other than the obvious. Operation Lone Star will be done on day 1 opening up the border again. If General Suelzer isn’t confirmed as the new DANG, he will be out of a job. We understand it’s Klobuchar in Minnesota that is holding up his nomination. Either way, we will have a new TAG. The Houston mayor has already backed off with ICE cooperation. We will see what other cities follow suit. Sanctuary cities in Texas are a real possibility as well. Sad stuff for a lot of Texans. Truly sad.

Final update on AR Lonoke Co Sheriff's race. Recap. Aaron Spencer killer the man that abducted his teen daughter in a struggle caught on his dash cam. Investigators "lost" the data card. Spencer decides to run for sheriff and beat the incumbent the primary. 2nd degree murder case, reassigned by State Supreme Ct to Special Circuit Judge due to mishandling the case. In June, all charges were dropped with prejudice. Larry Behnke, a conservative independent, former Army, experienced LEO entered the sheriff's race. He won, 54%. By all accounts, seems like a solid man for the job. His campaign was just about him and his plan. Nice to see that can still work.

I get it from the company perspective. But, also there are some significant portions of industry that can eat a big bag of dicks (and the gov to, to be fair). The taxpayers getting fucked because company X can’t (or doesn’t try hard enough) to meet their promises of capabilities on timeline has to end (F-35 is a great example). Maybe the middle ground is fixed-price, but with carve outs for things out of the company’s control - black swan event, unobtanium REM price goes above X value, etc. @ClearedHot You appear fairly deep in industry: what are your thoughts from that perspective AND as a taxpayer?

I support reducing the amount of out of shape people in the mil (primarily through getting them into shape, not kicking them out). But, it’s BS to take away age as a factor, provide some other means of fitness assessment, etc. I’m in shape and overall pretty damn healthy. I also have fucked up knees. I’ve done 90 miles under weight in high-elevation, large mountains this season, but tell me to run 2 miles on a hard track and my knees are going to be turbo fucked for a month to follow. The pounding of running on a hard surface is excruciating, but I’ll kick most people’s asses climbing a steep trail with weight on my back - am I not fit? Another example is the big dude who is strong and in shape, but the waste measurement is a problem. Bottom line, need some options for people in these types of categories.

Yeah but I doubt those two additional years of storage will be executed so… they got one year in the attic before being put on the curb The drone killer pitch and the on going fight(s) would be a legit reason to excess defense articles / foreign military aid these aircraft and parts to Ukraine.

Big day with some big games. Sadly, the 24 game playoff will make Saturdays like this meaningless going forward. BYU v Utah - should be fun to watch More two loss SEC teams playing on the bubble today. Alabama v LSU should be a war...UK v Tenn as well...Ga v Ole Miss is a season make or break for the Rebels. Miami facing Notre Dame without our best player....can Miami Run the ball and find other receivers to step up especially on long 3rd downs? Everyone hates Miami again so college football order has been restored...if they lose the drone from the Domers will be intolerable for the entire enterprise. Great time of year.

2 mile was essentially mandated by Hegseth so services standardize, as is the waist measurement. The scoring scale could be shaped by the services but the .55 maximum Waist to Heigh Ratio was mandated by Hegseth. Also it’s independent of age so 40-50 year dad bods are tough. Apparently he saw a lot of fat generals in the Pentagon and wanted to fix that.

Are they really "divested" if the AF is still paying SNC to store, and occasionally pull them out, fire em up, and make sure everything works? lol

That distinction between who pushed the changes and who shaped implementation is helpful. From what I have been reading, was the longer run mainly a top level call, or did the service have room to shape how it was scored?

The buffer and restraint one has left the building. Wiles out, Miller in, and he's in all the way up in there. Shits about to go to 11.

Unless he switches sides and the democrats want him elected

Is Desantis a weirdo? I haven’t gotten that vibe, but I also don’t live in Florida and haven’t followed his political career closely. Cruz I agree is not electable at a national level for president.