Would Admiral Rickover’s Method Still Work in Today’s Complex Acquisition and S&T Landscape?

Abstract

The easy access of advanced and capable microelectronics has lowered the barrier for technologists to participate in fields that were traditionally secluded for state actors, the consequences of which have inspired the public to focus its resources to compete without boundaries and at great speeds. Over the last several decades, technology innovation has moved from being defense-led research to commercial-led research, resulting in the ubiquitous presence of advanced sensing, signal processing, and amplifying technologies which have placed large stresses on defense systems. The demand for transitioning advanced technologies for the defense environment has surpassed the capacity of what the traditional acquisition and science and technology (S&T) communities can provide. This paper addresses some of the S&T challenges that ADM Rickover faced when transitioning the nuclear reactor technology, discusses the impacts of the Goldwater-Nichols Act and the current landscape, provides suggestions for contracting and reforms needed, and provides some lessons from history and applies it to present times.