(Click To Enlarge)Marine Staff Sgt. Theo Mahiai, left, and Marine Staff Sgt. Jeff Barton refuel an MV-22 Osprey aircraft in the hot pits of Asad Air Base, Iraq, Oct. 5, 2008. Mahiai is an Osprey crew chief, and Barton is an airframes mechanic. Both are assigned to the Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 266. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl Kelly R. Chase
From National Defense Magazine:
At the height of World War I, Frederick Lanchester conceived a string of mathematical formulas that helped to predict the outcome of armed conflicts.
His equations gave rise to attrition warfare and the notion that victory is achieved by overwhelming the enemy with sheer numbers and firepower.
Alas, it may be shocking to learn that in this day and age the Lanchester laws — deemed useless in most modern combat scenarios — continue to influence the design and procurement of U.S. weapon systems.
No wonder Defense Secretary Robert Gates urged military officers at the National Defense University last month to “be skeptical of systems analysis, computer models and game theories.”
In a politely worded indictment of the Pentagon’s weapon acquisition bureaucracy, Gates offered yet more evidence that billions of taxpayer dollars are being wasted on weapon systems that are not needed. Most of next year’s $180 billion budget for procurement, research and development, Gates said, funds conventional systems that the military may require some day, but that are not relevant to the current fight against terrorist groups.
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My Comment: The answer is simple .... it is called politics.