Rivalries within and among the military services once mimicked the role of competition in the private sector: they drove innovation. But with the end of the Cold War, the pressure to remain a step ahead has waned, depriving the defense sector of a crucial engine of progress.
军事部门内部和之间的对立曾经是为了模仿私人部门的竞争：这能促进创新。但随着冷战的结束，保持领先的压力不再，防务部门也失去了关键的前进引擎。此外，1999—2012年间，顶级防务承包商的研发支出占销售额之比下降了近三分之一。相反，美国技术巨头的研发投资要高出4—6倍。