True cause of cost overruns.(READER'S FORUM: VIEWS ... COMMENTS ... SUGGESTIONS)(Letter to the editor)

* Cost overruns and delays are usually brought about because the government contracts for something it does not fully understand, cannot clearly and precisely articulate its desired capabilities and specifications, and in many cases, is not even technologically feasible. When early technical problems clearly suggest termination, government program managers instead routinely amend the requirements, thus driving up cost while delaying the program. This is almost always done in direct violation of established and already very mind-numbingly detailed acquisition regulations.

Then, in many cases to cover themselves, defense and service level bureaucrats often dream up added regulations and requirements that delay if not outright confuse program development with mindless added bureaucracy.

For a timely example, consider the National Defense June 2009 article on page 20, "Defense Must Measure True Cost of Fuel, Says Acquisition Chief." It begins, "Weapon buying decisions in the future will take into account how much it will cost to provide fuel for theft operations." Ashton Carter, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, wants programs to consider not only fuel cost, but cost of delivering it in dangerous environments, factoring in added transportation and security costs of the fuel convoys, etc. Oh, this is really going to speed things up, won't it?

Chester A. Kojro

Rolla, MO

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