Latest Articles
Telstar I – Perspective, Thinking and Innovation
Telstar I – Perspective, Thinking and Innovation Once upon a time the government had a monopoly on outer space. Whether it was the Soviet government, or the U.S. government, space launches and satellites... READ MORE
Eisenhower’s Tea Leaves: Virtues of a dynamic and robust (defense) industrial base
When war clouds began to darken in the late 1930’s America’s defense industry was a small, almost insignificant, factor in the economy. As the military began rapid expansion, feelers were put out to... READ MORE
Other Transactions & Third-Party Financing Primer
From 2016-2019 Strategic Institute in conjunction with Innovation Finance Group later 50lb Brain worked hard to drag DoD acquisition leadership and bureaucracy to water, to show them the way. We illustrated how the... READ MORE
FAR vs OTs: Regulation vs Freedom | What is more conducive for innovation?
Most procurement lawyers, contracting officers and other acquisition professionals do not understand the relationship between highly regulated Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) contracts and Other Transaction (OT) contracts. This misunderstanding primarily stems from... READ MORE
Revolutionizing R&D and Capability Deployment: A Call for Change in Government Practices
The ability of the Department of Defense and other Government agencies to avoid facing reality or learn obvious lessons would be amusing if it was not so critically important. The Department of Defense... READ MORE
Technology and Industrial Base Policies Remain Relevant per NDAA 2024
Adherence to technology and industrial base policies can help alleviate supply chain disruptions and dependence on potential adversaries as sources of supply. In what might seem a minor change section 851 of... READ MORE
New DOD Other Transactions Guide: A Retreat from Innovation
The new (2023) Other Transactions Guide was waylaid by the DoD acquisition bureaucracy for a few years. Now out, the new guide, as expected, reflects business-as-usual thinking and a desire to limit... READ MORE
DoD: You have License to Think
A June 2023 Government Accountability Office report shows that DoD has a plethora of flexible authorities for more effectively pursuing and advancing knowledge and capability that are going unused or little used.... READ MORE