Maxor

Side note and issue something like this needs done due to lock-mart, raytheon, colt/usarms, and boeing with a few other major contractors seem to be slipping (or at least in my awareness from highschool student to military to contractor) in terms of quality delivery and specs. Now part of this is probably my being less idealistic and seeing it first hand alot more. The major contractors though seem to expect 1. that they are owed a new contract because of past greatness even though they may not be quite as good in this instance as the competition. 2 That a fair portion won't meet specs or just be shoddy. 3. That its ok to underbid the competiton who had a more realistic bid then halfway through delievery either raise the price or underdeliver. 4. Meet everything that they are supposed to other than the timeline and take half again as long as orginal estimates and qualifiy it this this was and estimate or a bid. Someone needs to call the major contractors on this crap. You don't see it a whole lot on continuing maintence contracts, or small special needs orders but on major deliveries it has become something to be expected and part of the status que. I have worked with and know alot of the field contractors for various companies and know most of these guys are hardworking and try their best to fullfill the contracts to the letter or above without serious delay or extra cost. Many of them are ex-military and in many cases work so closely with the military that they almost may as well be. The issue doesn't seem to me to be with these guys but with the people at the factories and yards and in management within the companies. (many of the field contracts are at minimum reuired manning or undermanned constantly and you have people working 12+ hour shifts for days on end). I also blame military procurement for part of the problem by 1 accepting somewhat unrealistic bids and 2 changing orders and requirements while in production throwing everything all to hell.


I personally probably wouldn't have picked a part on a 20+ year old airframe breaking because it was out of specs and within maintence and expected lifetime conditions but the line needs / needed drawn as to this type of crap and alot of people in the military proffesional field know that it needs drawn and handled to fix alot of arious messes throughout the armed services. I don't expect this lawsuit to be the final deciding factor in correcting this sort of mess but it will start to go toward showing that the military can stand up to the sacred cow contractors (the long time big names mentioned above and a few others) and that if the secondary or smaller contractors or even a new guy offers a better product at a realistic price or even a realistic price on an equally good product compared to a bid that will be raised from one of the major contractors they can either call the major multi level contractor on their BS and/or do with the competator without fear of political repercussions from the hill.

End of rant.

Oh and I realise that alot of this is long term ongoing and institutionalized but compare the 90's when I though militarymil-spec meant the best as a student to when I was in and realized that it was lowest bidder that met specs when the equpment was brand new. Till today when I see that in many instances it meant I made a mock-up product that was amazing and blew away the competions in a one -off custom product and estimated the price based on if there are thousand made best case senario and materials and labor don't go up in cost at all during the term of the contract and there isn't a single line stopage or part breakage while all of these are being made bid cost. Then after I get the contract for 1/4th of the number I used as my estimate (which I knw was likely when I made the bid) I go back and get the specs on the contract massaged to what I can do for the cost at this time, and then still raise my price due to labourmaterials and inflation. Type of meet specs.


Not sure where in the difference between contracts lies where the military bows to the company and not the other way around but on many smaller parts orders and support contracts it seems the company bows to the military and goes to the letter of the contract or beyond or faces stiff penalties that cut most if not all profit where as on the bigger ones and most esppecially with the more major contractors it seems that the military will bend to suit their needs timetable or money conerns I want to know where the difference lies and what the real difference is unless its just the power of legislatures and lobbies.