content: Well that's what happens when the people who approve these contracts are supervised by a bunch of officers who when they retire... end up sitting at the other side of the table. They're not going to kill their own golden goose by attempting to be responsible with the taxpayers money. Which is why we never see "contracts" work like they do in the real world. If I hire a business to build me a house and they quote me a price and we meet on a target amount, I am obligated to pay them, and they are obligated to build me a house. If they run overbudget, that's their problem, and if they don't deliver me a house I will sue them. Why doesn't the government do the same when these companies don't deliver what they said they would? Of course defense companies are basically arms of the DOD, and I don't see any reason why we continue this charade of dressing these companies up as companies.