Defence acquisitions: A choice between tweedledum and tweedledee

Are the elaborate processes and procedures for buying weapons sub-optimal precisely because they are so elaborate, questions T N Ninan

It can be no one’s case that buying complex weaponry like fighter aircraft or helicopters is easy business. The Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG’s) report on air force purchases mentions 660 specifications in the medium fighter order, and 42 for a radar system. Nor can it be a cut-and-dried process — for that might lead to all bidders in most contracts being disqualified at the outset. Besides, the relative importance given to individual specifications or product features can significantly affect judgements on what the best offer is — and (let’s face it) these are often matters of judgement. In the