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The United States government invests billions each year on equipping armed forces with the most advanced military equipment. The root of the American defense acquisition system is driven by a combination of national interests and domestic political requirements. While fundamentally the defense acquisition system has produced results for the United States military, improvements are needed in order to continue to move forward in advancing military tactics and technology. Exploring both the systemic and political levels of the system, Sorenson argues that the United States will fall behind if the current defense acquisition system is not reformed. This book brings together elements of this complicated system, such as national security requirements, and the changes that are needed in both the structural and political pillars. A combination of political interests and the needs of the military, serviced by an ever-shrinking defense industry, make a genuine acquisition reform even more difficult, resulting in reform that is more symbolic than genuine.
List of contents
Table of Contents
Glossary
Acronyms
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1: The Defense Acquisition Process Evolves
Chapter 2: The Current American Defense Acquisition Process
Chapter 3: The Defense Industrial Base
Chapter 4: The Politics of American Weapons Acquisition
Chapter 5: International arms sales and Defense Acquisition
Chapter 6: Reforming Defense Acquisition
Profiles: The Boeing Company Integrated Defense Systems
Profiles: General Dynamics Electric Boat Division
Profiles: Lockheed-Martin
Profiles: Curtiss-Wright
Profiles: Raytheon
Profiles: Northrop Grumman
Profiles: Pratt & Whitney Division of United Technologies
Profiles: The VSE Corporation
Document 1: The Goldwater Nichols Act of 1986
Document 2: The Executive-Legislative Budget Process
About the author
David S. Sorenson
Summary
Exploring both the systemic and political levels of the system, Sorenson argues that the United States will fall behind if the current defense acquisition system is not reformed.
