Richard Whittle > Quotes

“That was why stories on outrageous schedule delays and cost overruns were a staple for reporters on the Pentagon beat. Development schedules and cost estimates for major military hardware—especially aircraft—were almost always ridiculously optimistic. The incentive on both sides, for the military and for the contractors, was to shoot for the moon and worry later about how much they were going to miss it by.”
― Richard Whittle, The Dream Machine: The Untold History of the Notorious V-22 Osprey

“Those who say it cannot be done should not get in the way of those doing it.”
― Richard Whittle, Predator: The Secret Origins of the Drone Revolution

“Breaking into a service bureaucracy’s schedule to borrow or buy even a few laser balls was a tall order, but after some high-level phone calls the Navy agreed to sell the Air Force four Forty-Four balls—at a premium of roughly 40 percent.”
― Richard Whittle, Predator: The Secret Origins of the Drone Revolution