Expanding Costs and Shrinking Military Forces . . . World War II as the Once and Future Weapon Procurement Model

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Adam and Jeff, who know almost everything about everything and are not reluctant to regale their listeners with endless facts and opinions, consider why the U.S. military continues to shrink even as the defense budgets continue to rise.  Unfortunately, there are fewer and fewer defense contractors available to bid on weapons systems that are increasingly complex and costly.  Jeff points out that high-tech weaponry is also more vulnerable to technical glitches and may not be as durable as older weapons systems in battlefield conditions.  The Pentagon has also outsourced much of its manufacturing capabilities so that the U.S. Navy, for example, builds very few ships because it no longer has neither the shipyards nor the skilled personnel to do so.  This loss of defense manufacturing capacity has forced the United States to rely on foreign suppliers--some of whom, such as China, may not be totally concerned with our welfare.  In sum, Adam and Jeff believe that the entire military weapon procurement system needs to be streamlined with less emphasis on cutting edge technology with its incessant change orders and cost overruns and more emphasis on sheer numbers.  After all, even the most sophisticated weapons can fail in a hostile military environment.