Application of F-117 Acquisition Strategy to Other Programs in the NewAcquisition Environment

摘要

It is frequently argued that Special Access Programs (SAPs) are more effectivelyand efficiently managed than their counterparts conducted in a more open environment. Unfortunately, such programs usually remain under tight security control, making it impossible to rigorously test the accuracy of the claims or to systematically identify and apply strategies and attributes to a wider variety of acquisition programs. The F117 program offers an unusual opportunity to test, at least in a limited way, the hypothesis that SAPs have certain characteristics that could be applied beneficially to other programs. Developed and produced under strict access controls, many details of the F117 program have since become available to a wider audience. Furthermore, the program has three other characteristics that make it an attractive subject for such analysis: The F117 weapon system is generally viewed in favorable terms, based in part on its dramatic performance in the Persian Gulf war. Except for the special 'stealth' performance feature, the F117 program shares enough features with other airplane programs to permit useful comparisons of inputs and outputs. The Air Force direct management staff required to oversee the program was about one tenth that of a typical fighter aircraft acquisition program. In an era when considerable emphasis is being placed on reducing the size of government, any organization or process that allows the government to manage with far fewer people deserves careful attention.