From: "JS::TERANG" <terang%js.decnet@js3-vax.hanscom.af.mil>
Subject: re: almost working software & cheap, abundant weapons
Date: 17 Jun 93 09:16:00 EDT [thread overview]
Message-ID: <9306171334.AA05631@ajpo.sei.cmu.edu> (raw)
E L E C T R O N I C M A I L
(DDN Host Address: JS3-VAX.HANSCOM.AF.MIL)
Date: 17-Jun-1993 09:16
From: Lt Gregory P. Teran
Username: TERANG
Dept: ESC/JST
Tel No: 377-4997
TO: _WINS% ( _DDN[INFO-ADA@AJPO.SEI.CMU.EDU] )
Subject: re: "almost" working software & cheap, abundant weapons
>> Given a choice between two weapons, one "almost" working but abundant
>> cheap and available now, and one working but scarce expensive and ready
>> in ten years, any soldier would rather put up with the former.
Well, I'm sure that's true for some weapon systems, but "almost"
working software has a tendency to turn airplanes into lawn darts.
No thanks.
>> Unfortunately the famous military-industrial complex is geared, at least
>> in peacetime, to producing weapons that are complicated expensive scarce
>> and take forever to develop...
That's both true and unfortunate. A battalion of cavalry are less complicated,
less expensive, and more readily acquired than a tank. I would rather have the
tank, under most circumstances. Unless the cavalry guys had RPGs. But that
would make them expensive, complicated cavalry. It seems the price of superior
military leverage is high, the details are tedious, and the wait is long. I'm
getting paid to try to fix that, but it's been real tough going so far.
Greg Teran
opinions expressed above are NOT necessarily those of Electronics Systems
Command, AFMC, USAF, or DOD.
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