Watchkeeper illustrates the cost of changing procurement plans after a system has been developed. Britain spent heavily adapting the UAV to national requirements and planned to operate it until 2042. Proposals to retire it in the late 2020s would discard much of that intended service life. Better alternatives probably exist, but that concession does not settle whether early replacement offers value. The comparison should include buying more of the existing system against procuring another platform for much the same job.
Notable Point · 25:38-29:49
Watchkeeper and the cost of procurement churn
Watchkeeper's proposed early retirement raises a separate question from its difficult acquisition: whether a better alternative justifies losing the planned service life.