What do they do at DE&S

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Posted by Think Defence in Business on February 17, 2010

This might be old news but what exactly do DE&S actually do

From the MoD web site

Off the Shelf – Part 2

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Posted by Think Defence in Business on June 5, 2009

Our earlier post about the dangers of buying off someone else’s shelf has elicited some good responses and criticisms.

One of the main criticisms is that we have conflated the issue of an urgent off the shelf procurement with all its compromises and that of a more considered off the shelf purchase.

Perhaps this is a fair point, a more considered off the shelf purchase might not result in us being at the end of a long supply chain for spares but then again it might. There are examples of equipments that were procured in less fraught times yet still suffer supply chain issues and the consequences of poor contracts. There are also numerous examples of equipment that was developed at significant cost despite off the shelf alternatives being claimed to be available that have subsequently proven both excellent in capability terms but also in value for money terms.

Broadly speaking, we support the general aim of obtaining more equipment off the shelf but the purpose of the post was to highlight that this seemingly simple and consequence free route does have pitfalls.

Not the same pitfalls but pitfalls nevertheless.

What is needed is not a blind faith in the benefits of buying off the shelf or a slavish devotion to maintaining our sovereign manufacturing capabilities but a balance.

The Dangers of ‘Off Someone Else’s Shelf’

5Comments

Posted by Think Defence in Business on May 19, 2009

One often hears the call for more military equipment to be obtained off the shelf to reduce in service timescales and costs. It is a well trodden path but it is not without its own particular set of issues and is not the panacea that is often supposed.

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Think Defence is the collected ramblings of a few people that wish defence to go much higher up the UK national agenda, recognising that the answer is not always more money but better spending. Although focused on UK issues, anything we find interesting will find its way in. We operate a fairly open door policy and encourage guest contributors, if you want to say something just contact us or leave a comment. This will result in blog entries that disagree with each other but that it fine, debate is good. Where we are incorrect (and it will happen, probably a lot) just let us know, review and correction strengthen the quality of posts. Finally, it's just a blog, so don't take it too seriously!

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