The Project Definition Phase and Maintainability

Current Project Definition Phase doctrine is reviewed with special emphasis on maintainability and reliability (M&R) trade-offs within context of the “total system” required to produce a military capability and the total program lifetime cost of its achievement. It is held that while M&R policy is clear and enlightened, the tools required to put that policy into practice have yet to be perfected. As a result of forces now at work, it is argued that not only will the required M&R capability be perfected, but that breakthrough advances in the whole field of defense management should be expected.