Chapter 3, The Silver Bullet Summary and Analysis

Rich has an energetic and upbeat style of management and is learning the ropes. The Air Force awards them the stealth contract without a successful test flight; this was unusual, since funds were often tight. Carter's chief of the National Security Council, Zbigniew Brzezinski, came to visit the Skunk Works. Rich impresses him and tells him to explain to President Carter that the stealth project can render the USSR's investments in radar a complete waste. They are commissioned to build a small stealth fighter, known as the Silver Bullet. It was top secret and aimed to make quick-hits against heavily defended targets, late at night. Building the planes was an ideal project for Skunk Works. The Carter administration expanded spending, and while they had some trouble with project development, things pushed forward. Bureaucratic red tape...