Lessons from Rickover's Reactor: Can a New Bridge Fix Pentagon Procurement? (warontherocks.com)

• Rickover's Mark I reactor was built to full submarine specs, not a simplified prototype.
• Engineers resisted the demanding requirements but the approach succeeded.
• The 'New Bridge' concept seeks to emulate this innovation model today.

"In 1953, Admiral Rickover's Submarine Thermal Reactor Mark I was built to exact submarine specs—sea pressure, shock resistance, oversized air conditioning—against engineers' advice. This aggressive innovation model delivered the first naval nuclear propulsion system. The article argues that current Pentagon reform efforts, dubbed the 'New Bridge,' aim to replicate this approach but face cultural and bureaucratic hurdles. Understanding the success of Rickover's method is key to modernizing defense acquisition."