The Nature and Role of Prototyping in Weapon System Development

Jeffrey A. Drezner

ResearchPublished 1992

As part of a research effort to identify and analyze the range of system and subsystem prototyping strategies available to the Department of Defense and appropriate to the acquisition environment of the late 1980s and 1990s, this report examines the general nature of prototyping, develops an analytical framework for thinking about prototyping in weapon system development, and analyzes past and present prototyping programs within this framework. This analysis suggests that program-specific characteristics and the characteristics of the acquisition environment vary so widely that no generic criteria are apparent for determining whether or not to prototype or the kind of prototyping strategy to pursue. Thus, it is neither possible nor desirable to develop a set of firm decision rules. In the end, there is no substitute for informed judgment made by experienced managers and engineers.

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  • Copyright: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Available
  • Year: 1992
  • Print Format: Paperback
  • Paperback Pages: 148
  • Paperback Price: $30.00
  • Paperback ISBN/EAN: 978-0-8330-1228-9
  • Document Number: R-4161-ACQ

Citation

RAND Style Manual
Drezner, Jeffrey A., The Nature and Role of Prototyping in Weapon System Development, RAND Corporation, R-4161-ACQ, 1992. As of September 17, 2024: https://www.rand.org/pubs/reports/R4161.html
Chicago Manual of Style
Drezner, Jeffrey A., The Nature and Role of Prototyping in Weapon System Development. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1992. https://www.rand.org/pubs/reports/R4161.html. Also available in print form.
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