Thank you Chug. Could I just add that the basic idea for the book came from a Defence Committee report in July alleging 'procurement cock-ups' which, upon closer study, were unmitigated disasters before any procurer got involved.
It offers, I think, a balanced view. For every Requirements cock-up, there's a Procurement one, and a success story. It shows what can be done and how, and discusses why many disasters are repeated time and again.
Most case studies are aviation-related but, for example, AJAX gets a chapter; revealing that the mitigation for excessive noise dose was implemented over two decades ago but ceased. And then 12 years ago MoD rejected the approaches of the same leading expert (an MoD scientist), who recommended again that extant mandates be implemented. Nearly ten years went by, and trials crews were deafened.
Chinook Mk3? MoD denied knowing who was responsible for the decision to waive software procurement and verification regulations. (A distinctly uncivil servant). And lots more, including the background to the RAF approving the buy of kit to be used by Hercules while dipping its active sonar. (A Group Captain). It's an often irreverent look at how servicemen get the kit they use, from the viewpoint of someone who was taught from day 1 that the UOR process is the last resort - it takes far too long and is too wasteful.