Concern was expressed that government procurement requirements inhibited DoD's ability to take advantage of technological advances made by the private sector & increased DoD's costs. One effort to address these concerns was Section 845 of the Nat. Defense Authorization Act for FY 1994, which provided DARPA with temporary authority to enter into agreements for prototype projects. This report identifies: the extent to which DoD has used Section 845 agreements; the benefits reported from their use; how DoD tailored these agreements to address issues normally governed by standard contract provisions; & recent DoD efforts to provide additional guidance on their use. Charts & tables.

A number of analyses have recently been conducted in efforts to update technical cost models and cost estimating relationships for fixed-wing combat aircraft, particulary in light of the numerous cost-saving measures that have been initiated over the past decade. This report focuses on aqguisition reform or the institution of changes in government acquisition procrsses or in the relationship between the government and Department of Defense primes.

In 1994, the National Space Transportation Policy laid the framework for appropriate government agencies to maintain strong launch systems and infrastructure while modernizing space transportation capabilities and encouraging cost reductions. More than a decade later, through combined Department of Defense (DoD) and industrial investment, the two Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) families of U.S. rockets (Atlas V and Delta IV) have proved to be maturing, reliable state-of-the-art technologies. In 2004, Congress directed the Secretary of Defense to establish a panel of experts with extensive space launch and operations background to address the future National Security Space launch requirements and the means of meeting those requirements. DoD selected RAND to facilitate and support this panel in its deliberations between May 2005 and May 2006. This report analyzes the National Security Space (NSS) Launch Requirements Panel's major findings and recommendations. In short, the Panel concludes that, because basic rocketry principles, use of chemically derived thrust, and multiple expendable stages seem certain to remain the design of choice for operational space launch vehicles, the EELV can satisfy all known and projected NSS requirements through 2020.