For federal military and intelligence agencies, traditional rapid prototyping has filled a minor role in the engineering and production of solutions for users and operators. Booz Allen Hamilton's definition of Rapid Prototyping is a sharp change form traditional major development programs, which are historically inflexible, have long timelines, and are expensive. Unlike the traditional model, Rapid Prototyping will allow federal users and operators to quickly and cost-effectively obtain vital solutions to fulfill urgent missions. The new role for Rapid Prototyping meets a crucial requirement as the federal government must now rapidly respond to unpredictable emerging threats such as irregular warfare and international crime within the constrains of reduced fiscal resources.
