Impossible / Impressive

Why doesn't the USAF have a requirement for an invisible jet like the one Wonder Woman flies? Nevermind that any pilot sitting inside the invisible jet was completely visible, it's still an awesome piece of tech, right? It's way beyond stealth - I mean, it's completely transparent!

Well, let me answer my own question. The reason we don't have a requirement for an invisible jet is that such a thing is considerably beyond our technical capabilities. We might almost call it impossible, although I hesitate to use that word. And the thing is, we can't require the impossible.

It's important to include reality in our requirements, and to ensure our requirements are reallistic. Doesn't that go without saying? Sadly, it doesn't.

This doesn't mean we have to aim low. Just because we can't require the impossible doesn't mean we shouldn't require the impressive. But the distinction between impossible and impressive is an important one to consider.