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Improving Naval Ship Acquisition

This is a policy proposal written by Austin Vernon and myself for improving US naval shipbuilding.

The ship proved to be popular: it could successfully perform its escort duties, it was tough, and the low acquisition and operational cost allowed a large number of them to be acquired. Constant design changes driven by an evolving regulatory landscape are part of the reason for the precipitous rise in nuclear power plant construction costs in the US. More broadly, in his book on how to manage large projects effectively, megaproject expert Bent Flyvbjerg notes a key rule is to have the design and planning as complete as possible before beginning, to reduce the likelihood that problems and delays will occur.

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