Pentagon contracts have become increasingly fuzzy in recent years, with descriptions of just what it is we're getting for our money tough to discern. The latest example was at the top of the list of contracts announced by the Pentagon late Tuesday. It's paying four companies as much as $281.7 million each (where do they come up with these precise numbers, especially when spread across four firms?) for an "indefinite-delivery/indefinite quantity contract to provide advisory and assistance services" to the U.S. military's Missile Defense Agency. That fuzzy enough for you? If you need more "clarity" -- check this out.

The four lucky winners -- Booz Allen Hamilton of McLean, Va.; MacAulay-Brown, Inc. of Dayton, Ohio; Science Applications International Corp. of Arlington, Va.; and TASC of Andover, Mass. -- "will assist the acquisition directorate in providing agency advisory analytical support for subject matter expertise throughout the agency for engineering, test, finance, acquisition, readiness and strategic activities in support of the Ballistic Missile Defense System." A quick review of contracting data shows such deals to be annual events, even though this one runs through 2016.