Who is fit to make procurement decisions?
One of the prevailing thought regarding military equipment procurement is to simply "let the troops choose". This is a great idea... In theory. As the end user, they are no doubt the MOST IMPORTANT stakeholder in procurement selection, as their very lives may depend on that equipment. Unfortunately, they do not have the final say in such matters. New equipment is often foisted upon them, with little regard to their desires. Not only that, but their voice is often the quietest, assuming it is heard at all. In reality, it is not the soldier that picks out his or her rifle, the sailer that picks his or her ship, nor the pilot who picks his or her aircraft. That decision is not even carried out by the upper-echelon brass like generals or admirals. Instead, the decision is ultimately made by those holding the purse strings: Politicians. Notice the look on the SAR Tech's face? While the thought of a greasy politician having the fi...