Does the use of commercial products force compromising requirements?
It may not always be possible to find a complete solution off the shelf. In the past, if NDI (Non-Developmental Item) was not available, then it was appropriate to develop your own. Now, technology is advancing so rapidly that waiting for the cost of a technology to drop might be a more feasible solution. Having an open interface profile in place supports importing the appropriate commercial technology at the appropriate time in a program cycle. Hence, while the initial operational capability of a system may not meet all requirements, it is likely that if the correct homework has been done in choosing the technology, improved performance may be achieved at a later time.
