Good point re requirements LW: Think I posted a query on the subject a while ago, but here goes again. Back to the UTTAS program for a minute. The Army started studies in 1968, while the Vietnam War was still being fought, as to a replacement for the UH-1, which you’ll recall started out as a medevac aircraft, but was then morphed thru multiple models due to the exigencies of that conflict and lessons being learned.
The UH-1 replacement effort was aimed at resolving all the lessons learned in SE Asia and resulted in what was called a Material Need Document, which was actually a very detailed specification covering again, in rather precise detail, flight performance, specific handling qualities requirements, maneuvering requirements ( including the one that became known as “ the UTTAS Maneuver ) maintenance and mobility by USAF aircraft requirements, Crashworhiness requirements, Ballististic survivability and Vulnerability requirements.
Is there a like document precisely defining the FARA requirements-all of them?
What the Army did on UTTAS was take that Material Need Document and essentially incorporated it into their Request For Proposal ( RFP ) so that there was no doubt in contractors minds as to what was required of them. No wiggle room.