A game often played by sub-contractors in the aerospace industry who are working on intricate, time critical and interdependent parts of a significant development programme. Despite knowing they are unable to meet a delivery date they do not declare this knowledge to the customer in the hope that another sub-contractor is experiencing similar problems and will announce their own delay first, thus allowing them to push back their delivery whilst avoiding potential contractual penalties for a delay in schedule.
"I know we cannot possibly deliver our satellite for Q3 next year, but trust me, if we play launch chicken with the other sub-contractors one of them will crack before we do and delay the programme."
by Outmarsat July 16, 2018