David L Lyndon

Prime Contract David L Lyndon

In May of 1998 after five years of research, development, and industrial competition, the billion dollar SEANET engineering development contract was awarded by the U. S. Navy to Tellonics, Inc. When completed, the satellite-based system would make it possible for all elements of the navy -- ships, submarines, aircraft, shore stations, and command centers -- to communicate with high speed and security. Two years later the program was in serious jeopardy, behind schedule and over budget. Arnold Tell, Tellonics CEO, recruited his former classmate, colleague, and friend, Jack Decker, to return to Tellonics to manage the contract as Vice President and Program Director of SEANET. With the cooperation of the Navy's program manager, Rear Admiral Russell Sullivan, Decker reorganized and replanned the program to insure its success despite congressional interference, industrial sabotage, and attempts on his life. Emphasizing the management and technical skill required to execute a complex, state-of-the-art program with thousands of sub-contractors and vendors, the book describes with authority the inner workings of large military contracts, generally misunderstood and unappreciated by the public.