Who wants to be a defense scientist? Apparently, almost no one, according to the New York Times. "In the past 10 years or so, as spending on new military projects has reached its highest level since the Reagan years, the Pentagon has increasingly been losing the people most skilled at managing those projects," the Times notes. "That brain drain, military experts like [former undersecretary of defense Paul] Kaminski say, is a big factor in a breakdown in engineering management that has made huge cost overruns and long delays the norm."

The Times article looks at the breakdown of "systems engineering," which ensures the various pieces of hard and software all work together on a big project. "Without it, projects can turn into chaotic, costly failures," the article notes. The main culprit in this breakdown is the loss of engineering talent, according to the article.

But it's not just a brain drain. Some might argue it's also the growth of complex "system of systems" technology programs, among other factors.