The old sad story...save program costs
and leave buying the data to Logistics people down line! Then the
Logistics people can't get right kind of procurement fund to do
something that should have done on the front end of a program.
If you don't buy the data rights, no manufacturer in their right
mind gives away rights for free. They have shareholders as
well! And that commits logistics procurement to buy from original
producer at negotiated current price plus procurement management
costs. And procurement of one each of anything incurs the
fully loaded gross price tag.
So the Congressman can make the claim that a specialty
manufacturer is the bad guy, but it was highly ranked DoD
official or Flag officer that made the decision not to procure
the design data and probably got a promotion for "saving
procurement funds" on the program cost!!