The Pentagon’s new “Better Buying Power” initiative offers some clues on how the Air Force will buy the Long Range Strike Bomber, according to retired Lt. Gen. Mark Shackelford. Speaking at the long-range-strike panel at AFA’s 2013 Air and Space Conference, he said there would be incentives “tied to tangible performance;” not necessarily just passing a major milestone. The program executive will be directly answerable to the Pentagon’s acquisition executive, he said. “Should cost” will play a big role; “dollars released to program office” will not be along the lines of traditional progress payments, but only enough to track with performance, he said. The government will not simply choose “the most glittering proposal” it thinks it can afford, said Shackelford.
Three of four congressional committees with influence over defense policy have voted to change the official name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War—but final approval of the Pentagon rebrand is months away and not yet assured.