The P-51 Mustang: A Case Study in Defense Acquisition

Abstract

In the rapidly changing global situation, defense acquisition needs to be equally agile and innovative. We must look to every source--government, industry, and academia--for ideas to make warfighter systems more capable and affordable. This article presents a historical case study of the World War II P-51 Mustang fighter plane development that illustrates ways the aircraft designers embraced the challenge to build a world-class fighter aircraft in the face of a challenging enemy, entrenched bureaucracy, and immature industrial capability. Enduring lessons are presented for today's acquisition professional.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2010
Accession Number
ADA529307

Entities

People

  • Alan Haggerty
  • Roy Wood

Organizations

  • Defense Acquisition University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acquisition
  • Air Force
  • Aircraft Equipment
  • Aircraft Industry
  • Aircrafts
  • Altitude
  • Case Studies
  • Climate Change
  • Department Of Defense
  • Fighter Aircraft
  • Governments
  • High Altitude
  • Laminar Flow
  • Military Acquisition
  • Reconnaissance Aircraft
  • United States
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Aerospace logistics and air mobility.
  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.