The DOD has come to realize, however tentatively, that leveraging existing technologies—as opposed to developing new ones—is critical to the affordable fielding of new systems. But as budgets continue to decline, the DOD may have to rely not only on existing technology, but on its existing weapons systems as well. However, there is reason for optimism in this regard. In the case of the C-5 Galaxy, industry has shown that legacy systems can be modernized to cope, and even excel, in today’s operating environments, often at a fraction of the cost of new system development.
This research was partially sponsored by the Lockheed Martin Corporation.