It makes sense for a few reasons (ideally..., but this is the mil-ind complex...)
1. Predictable income / expenses for each party, many defense projects are cut at the whim of politicians. This is partly why we are having trouble ramping up production for the weapons Ukraine needs.
2. The US military is trying to adopt more agile development practices. They definitely want to move away from waterfall software as part of that.
3. Your 1 customer argument falls apart as soon as you talk about per-seat pricing. The US mil can buy more or less seats as the size of the force changes or is reallocated. It also sets Lockheed up to charge for drone connectivity. The military benefits because they could opt not to buy more if it doesn't turn out well.
note, I have not delved into the details of this article, but base these hypotheses on the developments at large I've seen elsewhere.
1. Predictable income / expenses for each party, many defense projects are cut at the whim of politicians. This is partly why we are having trouble ramping up production for the weapons Ukraine needs.
2. The US military is trying to adopt more agile development practices. They definitely want to move away from waterfall software as part of that.
3. Your 1 customer argument falls apart as soon as you talk about per-seat pricing. The US mil can buy more or less seats as the size of the force changes or is reallocated. It also sets Lockheed up to charge for drone connectivity. The military benefits because they could opt not to buy more if it doesn't turn out well.
note, I have not delved into the details of this article, but base these hypotheses on the developments at large I've seen elsewhere.