MILITARY AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY SCORECARD
Company (location) Lockheed (Palmdale and Marietta, Ga.) Ongoing programs C-130 Hercules transport; F-22 fighter jet; Possible secret reconnaissance program Outlook If the F-22 goes forward, Lockheed will be assured of a solid base in tactical aircraftfor the next two decades. In addition, it has opportunities to build a replacement for the C-130 and is continuing to offer its out-of-production C-5B as an alternative to the McDonnell C-17. Company (location) General Dynamics (Ft. Worth) Ongoing programs F-16 tactical fighter; F-22 advanced tactical fighter Outlook The F-16 production will end by the mid-1990s, leaving the firm with only a portion of the F-22. Without a new program, General Dynamics appears headed for a role largely as asubcontractor. Company (location) Boeing (Seattle and Wichita, Kan.) Ongoing programs F-22 fighter jet; E-3 AWACS reconnaissance plane; B-2 bomber subcontractor Outlook With its overwhelming position in commercial aircraft, Boeing can always enter and exit the military aircraft business. The E-3 is winding down and it soon may not be the prime contractor on any aircraft. Company (location) Northrop (El Segundo, Hawthorne, Pico Rivera, Palmdale) Ongoing programs B-2 bomber; F-18 fighter jet Outlook Although the firm has fallen short of becoming the predominant military aircraft producer in the U.S., it remains a viable aircraft builder as long as it can get funding on theB-2. It may be able to salvage its F-23 by offering it as a future Navy fighter or as a basis for a new Navy bomber. With its 40% share of the F-18, it has a long term base. Company (location) McDonnell Douglas (Long Beach, St. Louis) Ongoing programs F-15 fighter; AV-8B Harrier; F-18 fighter jet; C-17 cargo jet; Navy T-45 trainer jet Outlook Although the firm is troubled, it has a significant backlog and faces a bright future. The F-15 and AV-8B will be phased out soon, but the Navy wants to develop a new version of the F-18, providing longevity extending through this decade. Company (location) Rockwell International (El Segundo, Palmdale) Ongoing programs AC-130U gunship; X-31 experimental fighter jet Outlook Rockwell has the most meager diet of any of the firms in the aircraft industry, but will attempt to get some new business by bidding on an upcoming Air Force trainer-jet program. Company (location) Grumman (Bethpage, N.Y.) Ongoing programs F-14 Tomcat; E-2C early warning aircraft; EA-6B low-level attack bomber Outlook Grumman is facing a phase out of its F-14 program and declining production of its other two programs. It is a possible bidder on the new Navy bomber program.
