> This assumption that as soon as somebody learns how to code, they pack up and move to the Bay Area... In reality, the USAF here is competing against the cost of defence contractors.
Exactly. The airmen that can leave, will leave to defense contractors, not silicon valley.
The armed forces training people to go into private versions is nothing new. The difference here —that you don't see in military engineering or mercenary work— is the USAF can control both supply of and demand for developers on its internal projects and undercut contractors.
And if they have transferable skills on exit, all the better for them.
The cost to get up and running. You're taking hundreds of millions in capital expenditure for an engineering R&D lab. Double that if you want to actually produce something.
Compared to a pile of consultants, laptops and whiteboards. Software is cheap to make.
Exactly. The airmen that can leave, will leave to defense contractors, not silicon valley.