Mike hosts defense acquisition experts Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor to better understand just how hard it is for the US military to buy stuff. We also discuss a shortcut called a Middle Tier Acquisition (MTA), along with some examples you’ve probably heard of: B-52 engines, F-15EX fighter jets, and hypersonic missiles.

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Links

* Sign up for our amazing newsletter https://www.themerge.co

* Support us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/the_merge

* Eric contact https://www.linkedin.com/in/elofgren/

* Eric’s Acquisition Talk https://acquisitiontalk.com 

* Matt contact https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-macgregor77/

* Matt’s op-ed https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2022/09/get-know-middle-tier-awesomeer-acquisition/377017/

* Pentagon Wars (full movie) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir0FAa8P2MU

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Show Notes

(1:00) intro

(4:12) overview

(5:06) monopsony

(6:58) requirements

(9:04) Pentagon Wars

(20:45) acquisition strategy

(23:44) “joint”

(31:58) how much does it cost?

(35:38) the budget

(37:11) the PPBE

(43:06) what is the NDAA?

(45:38) what is an MTA?

(53:15) MTA examples

(53:27) B-52 engines

(1:01:00) IVAS (Army AR headset)

(1:05:06) F-15EX

(1:11:05) F-22 Link-16 and IRST

(1:11:50) ARRW (hypersonic)

(1:17:44) story time