Competition in Weapon Systems Acquisition: Cost Analyses of Some Issues

Abstract

The Twenty-Third Annual Department of Defense Cost Analysis Symposium was held in Leesburg, Virginia, on 6-8 September 1989. A number of the papers presented at that symposium, as well as a roundtable discussion held at the symposium, were analyses of the costs associated with alternative competition strategies in weapon system acquisition. The papers and the transcript of the roundtable discussion included in this compendium were selected from those presented at the symposium which addressed the general area of weapon system competition. The papers and discussion fall into three board areas addressing the costs and benefits of competition: methodological analyses, empirical analyses, and analyses of policy and implementation. they represent those efforts which best reflect state-of-the-art research into the issues surrounding the costs associated with alternative strategies for weapon system competition. Keywords: Acquisition, Department of Defense, Weapon systems, Cost analysis, Theses, Logistics management. (RWJ)