Spiral Development in Action: A Case Study of Spiral Development in the Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Program
Abstract
Evolutionary Acquisition (EA) is the established acquisition strategy of choice for the Department of Defense (DoD) and spiral development (SD) is the preferred process to execute this tactic. SD is used when the end-state of a weapon system is unknown, and its purpose is to get valuable capability into warfighters' hands much more quickly than before, even if the deliverable is only a partial solution. This approach is markedly different than the traditional DoD acquisition approach that too often fielded weapon systems late, over budget, and with obsolete technology. As with any DoD initiative, SD is not a panacea. The purpose of this MBA Project is to identify some of the key characteristics necessary to implement SD in government acquisitions, and to present lessons learned from a program office currently using a spiral development approach. This is accomplished through a case study of the Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Program. This paper examines the Global Hawk's spiral development strategies in several key program functional areas. It discusses SD challenges and benefits with particular attention to successful tactics and potential pitfalls of using this acquisition approach. Finally, it derives several lessons learned applicable to any DoD program manager.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA443447
Entities
People
- Daniel T. Walter
- Wade A. Henning
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School