What is it about military equipment purchases?

[VH-GRUMPY]

Australian media are carrying the following story

"THE navy's trouble-plagued Super Seasprite helicopter fleet has been grounded and the $1 billion program is at risk of being scrapped amid concerns the aircraft is unsafe to fly.

Nearly six years after they were due to enter service, the Seasprites - a vital anti-submarine and anti-shipping aircraft for the Navy's Anzac-class frigates - have been banned indefinitely from operational flying."

It seems that every purchase of aircraft either blows the budget skyhigh or fall short of specs.

[SASless]

Ever wonder why the USN went to SeaHawks and dumped the SeaSprite?

[Talking Radalt]

It seems that every purchase of aircraft either blows the budget skyhigh or fall short of specs.

Yeah but as long as CDS at the time gets offered a place on the Board, everyone's happy, right? :confused:

[VH-GRUMPY]

The tragedy here is we bought them second hand and then had them refursbished and speced up only to find they don't work - we have paid for them and where does thgis leave the Navy. Stuffed.

:uhoh:

[FormerFlake]

The 'Save Now, Spend Later' system that enters all areas of government purchasing.

[philrigger]

It good to see that the Military maxim 'Buy cheap - buy twice' is still going strong.


'We knew how to whinge but we kept it in the NAAFI bar.'

[Baskitt Kase]

It seems that every purchase of aircraft either blows the budget skyhigh or fall short of specs.Just about every project (not just military procurement) will be late, over budget or under-specced as those are the only 3 variables to play with when dealing with arising problems. traditionally, most militaries have considered that reducing the specification is the least desirable option, hence the spiralling costs and extending timelines we repeatedly see. Increasingly, governments are now willing to sacrifice the functionality to meet timings or cost, hence the 'successful JPA launch' and the abandoning of some projects, leaving nothing in their place. I suspect that this is a trend that is likely to continue (to save costs).