Re:Etcd, or, why modern software makes me sad
by thesuperbigfrog on Tuesday July 14, 2020 @10:13PM
(#23840450)
Another huge factor is the service lifetime of military equipment.
There are aircraft that were designed and created in the 1970s that are still in use today. Sure, many of the components and internal systems have been modified and upgraded, but much of the original design is still there and operating.
>> a military contract will be for a production run and follow on support.
When "follow-on support" has to last for 50 years or more, it makes a big difference.
Not to excuse military contracting pork and cost padding, but this is a good point that a lot of people seem to miss. There's also the fact a military contract will be for a production run and follow on support.
So they buy a thousand full units and parts/tools to fix and maintain them up front. You can't just go to Autozone and pick up a new tank tread or parts for a jet turbine.