Enhancing Army S&T Lessons from "Project Hindsight Revisited"
Abstract
This book draws on a series of studies known as Project Hindsight Revisited conducted by the authors at the National Defense University from 2004-2006. The Hindsight Revisited studies examined, in three reports, the development of four current U.S. Army weapons systems: the Abrams main battle tank, the Apache attack helicopter, the Stinger anti-aircraft missile, and the Javelin anti-tank missile. In exploring how these weapons systems were taken from conceptual design to full-scale production, the studies brought to light crucial factors in their successful development. This book pursues significant implications of the studies' findings, with the intention that this analysis and commentary will help the Army's science and technology (S&T) leadership manage the Army S&T portfolio today and tomorrow. The Hindsight Revisited studies addressed the development of the weapons systems in question in terms of Critical Technology Events (CTEs). CTEs, as further explained in Chapters I and II, were those actions and advances that were vital to the capabilities with which a system was ultimately endowed. As such, they provided a way to focus on those factors that were crucial to success, including who performed the development work, who financed it, and what management practices were employed. These CTEs were established after many hours of discussion and extensive correspondence with scientists, engineers, technicians, and managers who were directly involved with the systems' developments. All told, the Hindsight Revisited studies found 135 CTEs for the four systems. Despite the obvious differences in the development stories of such disparate systems as a tank, a helicopter, and two missiles, the research showed some common ingredients of success. Success depended both on having the S&T resources available to conduct the work and on the ability of the parties, principally the Army laboratories and industry, to team and work together.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA466795
Entities
People
- Albert A. Sciarretta
- Duncan Long
- John W. Lyons
- Richard Chait
Organizations
- National Defense University