Research possibilities and equipment readiness

How long before NAVSEA tries to put a warp drive in Enterprise?

The warp-drive suggestion is a joke; the technical concern is the temptation to require promising technology before it is ready.

A warp-drive joke leads into the difference between research possibilities and equipment ready for service. The United States' large research and development programme exposes naval planners to many potential technologies. Awareness of what might become possible can encourage requirements for a system before development is complete. The caution concerns the maturity of the equipment when it is selected for a ship.