Re: Is the Ada World Embarrassed by the Defense Industry?

[mark_lundquist@my-deja.com]

In article <39FDE9E4.35F615A6@netwood.net>,
  "E. Robert Tisdale" <edwin@netwood.net> wrote:
> Ken Garlington wrote:
>
> > While looking at the SIGAda 2000 web site,
> > I notice that the role of Ada in defense applications is minimized
> > (even after the explicit requirements in this area were dropped).
> > For example, the list of "recent" successful Ada-based systems
> > includes only commercial projects, some five years old,
> > although one of the most recent Ada success stories occurred
> > just a few days ago (October 24).  I also notice that
> > an interview last year with Tucker Taft included the statement,
> > "These days we're focused mostly on commercial success stories..."
> > I can understand wanting to promote commercial applications,
> > but isn't this going a little overboard?

Defense-related success stories do little to counter the myth that Ada
is a "military language".  On the other hand, years-old succes stories
of any kind do little to dispel the myth that "nobody uses Ada anymore".

>
> Apparently, national defense, and the U.S. Navy in particular,
> has finally turned toward Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS)
> solutions after encouraging a commercial computer industry
> for the past 50 years.

I think COTS is a natural area to focus on for growing the Ada market.

-- mark

Mark Lundquist
Senior Software Engineer
Rational Software


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