[jtrip]

Development costs of what? The trashcan? What could possibly have cost them 50,000xplane frames to develop it in the first place?

The reading of the article implies the contract set prices for commercial items and Boeing simply started charging the army whatever as soon as it technically wasn't 'commercial'.

[oefrha]

Hey, you must retain the rare talent capable of developing military-grade trash cans at all costs.

[hef19898]

Which is exactly how it works. And one of the main reasons why airplanes get more expensive to operate with age. Because it is not just trash cans, but also engine parts, electronics, structural parts...