page_title: Boondoggle
section_title: Dynamics
hierarchical_section_title: Boondoggle / Dynamics
caption_attribution_description: PACIFIC OCEAN (Dec. 8, 2016) The guided-missile destroyer USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000), left, the Navy's most technologically advanced surface ship, is underway in formation with the littoral combat ship USS Independence (LCS 2) on the final leg of its three-month journey to its new homeport in San Diego. Upon arrival, Zumwalt will begin installation of its combat systems, testing and evaluation, and operation integration with the fleet. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Ace Rheaume/Released)161208-N-SI773-0401 Join the conversation: www.navy.mil/viewGallery.asp www.facebook.com/USNavy www.twitter.com/USNavy navylive.dodlive.mil pinterest.com plus.google.com
context_page_description: A boondoggle is a project that is considered a waste of both time and money, yet is often continued due to extraneous policy or political motivations.
context_section_description: The term "boondoggle" may also be used to refer to protracted government or corporate projects involving large numbers of people and usually heavy expenditure, where at some point, the key operators, having realized that the project will never work, are still reluctant to bring this to the attention of their superiors. Generally there is an aspect of "going through the motions"—for example, continuing research and development—as long as funds are available to keep paying the researchers' and executives' salaries.
  The situation can be allowed to continue for what seems like unreasonably long periods, as senior management are often reluctant to admit that they allowed a failed project to go on for so long. In many cases, the actual device itself may eventually work, but not well enough to ever recoup its development costs.
  Another example is the RCA "SelectaVision" video disk system project, begun in the early 1960s and continuing for nearly 20 years, long after cheaper and better alternatives had come to market. RCA was estimated to have spent about $750 million (1985 dollars) (equivalent to $1.65 billion in 2014 dollars) on this commercially nonviable system, which was one of the factors leading to its sale to GE and later breakup in 1986.
  The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program has suffered massive cost and schedule overruns and the fighter's military utility is the subject of heated controversy, yet the program continues to be the highest priority procurement activity for the United States Department of Defense. The Zumwalt-class destroyer and Littoral combat ship have been described similarly.
  The Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, involved an extremely long planning cycle, cost overruns, allegations of corruption, and, when opened, was criticized for its poor construction.
  The Lower Churchill Project in Newfoundland and Labrador is a hydroelectric project currently under construction that is currently suffering major cost overruns and protracted schedule delays. Current Nalcor Energy CEO Stan Marshall has described the project as a boondoggle.
caption: Zumwalt-class destroyer and Littoral combat ship
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