From $750 to $1 Million--Hey, It's Complex (as in Military-Industrial)

Marines' New Ride Rolls Out Years Late By Walter Pincus Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, February 3, 2009; A04 The Marine Corps is starting to deploy a jeeplike vehicle called the Growler, 10 years after conception and at twice the contract price, after delays that were caused by changing concepts and problems in contracting, development and testing, according to two reports. Sen. Carl M. Levin (D-Mich.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sought investigations by the Government Accountability Office and the Defense Department inspector general in light of complaints by the unsuccessful bidder on the project. But a spokesman for Levin said the inspector general's report, released last month, showed that cost increases and delays are so normal in defense contracting, particularly in contracts involving hundreds of millions of dollars, that they don't raise great concerns.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, however, stressed the importance of reforming procurement in r…