“In a lot of ways, this post is a few years too late. Most prominent military procurement programs go through three phases, at least in the public discourse. Ea

“In a lot of ways, this post is a few years too late. Most prominent military procurement programs go through three phases, at least in the public discourse. Early on, they are miraculous, and will solve all problems. They’re cheaper than what we have now, and far more capable. Then, as they come closer to entering service, problems show up, and the media turns on the program. It’s now the worst thing ever, behind schedule, over budget, and useless compared to what it’s supposed to replace if not actively dangerous to our brave troops. Lastly, these problems get resolved, and it becomes a perfectly normal, if imperfect, weapons system, eventually celebrated as a fine example of American engineering, and the benchmark against which the next system will be measured.”