What is Augustine's XVI Law and how is Siemens Xcelerator helping companies break it? Augustine's XVI "law" is a tongue-in-cheek observation by Norm Augustine, a former US Under Secretary of the Army and retired CEO of Lockheed Martin. He noted that aircraft were getting so expensive that by 2054 the US DoD would only be able to buy one plane. Higher performance designs implicitly have higher levels of complexity as each generation brings more systems, more electronics, more software, more of almost everything into the product. This has led to exponentially increased costs. Although speaking humorously, Augustine was fundamentally correct in his assessment. That has changed at last with the new B-21 bomber. Northrop Grumman is ahead of schedule and under budget on the project. Has a loophole been found in Augustine's Law? Kathy Warden, CEO of Northrop Grumman, stated recently this success was enabled by using digital design capabilities and advanced manufacturing technologies.
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