Testing naval requirements before ordering a ship

Alex Clarke describes consultancy work in which he challenges a client's proposed capabilities and assumptions. He sees a risk that fear of jeopardising procurement suppresses internal criticism until a ship has already been ordered. His own rule requires him to suggest a repair when he finds a flaw in a concept. He argues that some recent US Navy ideas received this scrutiny too late. That criticism is his assessment of the procurement process, grounded here in his account of his consulting method.