Military Jet Engine Acquisition - Technology Basics and Cost-Estimating Methodology

In recent years, the affordability of weapon systems has become increasingly important to policymakers in the Department of Defense and U.S. Congress. Aerospace industry analysts and some government officials have asserted that government cost estimates are based on outdated methods that do not account for the latest technological innovations. The authors of this report present the results of a RAND research study to update the methods for estimating military jet engine costs and development time. This report is one of a series from a RAND Project AIR FORCE research project called “The Cost of Future Military Aircraft: Historical Cost Estimating...