talkitron wrote:Raytheon will replace Northrop as the supplier of the Distributed Aperture System (DAS) in 2023, corresponding to block 15. Raytheon did not bid as they apparently did not see much profit; Raytheon's price will be lower. Also, the Raytheon system should have performance enhancements. ...
I'm sure you meant Northrop Grumman did not bid. In any case the article you referenced stated:
Northrop chose not to bid for future DAS production after deciding that it was no longer an attractive business opportunity, said Kathy Warden, the company’s president and chief operating officer, in an April earnings call.
On Wednesday, Northrop spokesman Brian Humphreys elaborated, saying that the company “applied the same disciplined approach we use when considering all business pursuits and concluded that it wasn’t the right business deal for us.”
This could have been for a variety of reasons up to and including the program was viewed as unexecutable due to either the terms and conditions (schedule, guarantees,etc.), price point, or tech maturity. If NG found the risk not acceptable, I would tend to believe them, as their track record in sidestepping disastrous programs is pretty good lately. It could have been simple timing: the risk in this program may have been acceptable if NG wasn't already stretching their wings elsewhere (B-21, GBSD). Watch for issues regarding cost, schedule or performance, or combination of any of the above to manifest itself down the line.
--The ultimate weapon is the mind of man.