ABSTRACT
Preface It used to be that procurement cost was the primary, and sometimes only, criteria for system selection or new technology upgrades. But, this single purpose criterion often resulted in bad long-run financial decisions. Why? Because procurement costs tell only one part of the story. The complete story is told in the life cycle cost of a system from cradle to grave. Thus, affordability is really defined by the extent to which the life cycle cost is consonant with the long-range investment plans of the Department of Defense (DoD) or its military departments or defense agencies. Affordability considers not only development and investment costs, but also operating, support, and disposal costs.
