(Photo from Lockheed Martin)Forecasts 2009 - Defence: Make Or Break -- Flight Global:
The inauguration of a new US president seldom heralds immediate changes for the nation's military acquisition programmes, but that tradition is likely to be undone this year.
President-elect Barack Obama's national security team will instantly face decisions on either prolonging or dismantling production lines for the US Air Force's Boeing C-17 strategic transport and Lockheed Martin F-22 air superiority fighter, and on whether and how to initiate contracts to replace some of its current in-flight refuelling tankers and combat search-and-rescue helicopters.
Separately, Lockheed's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and the EADS-led Airbus Military A400M face potential make or break flight-test milestones, and industrial partners in the Eurofighter project will pressure their European customers to honour a shared commitment to Tranche 3 production of the type.
The global economic downturn will heap additional pressure on those nations already struggling to balance the need to fund current operational commitments and meet their armed forces' long-term equipment requirements. Other countries merely attempting to replace obsolete aircraft through new procurements will also suffer. Asian nations are expected to be especially hard hit in the latter category, while some analysts believe that after 11 years of continuous growth, US defence spending could peak this year.
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My Comment: Defense spending will be based on politics, economics, and what is the state of the world. I do noit see any major changes in policy this year. What will change all of this is a successful terrorist strike on the U.S.
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