Where there is sufficient demand for a new type of aircraft, then the development costs that run into the billions of dollars can be justified. Both airlines benefit from the combined marketplace that they mutually create. Wouldn't you say that each of the big defense programs competes with all others for our tax dollars. In a sense they do, when the time comes to pick and choose for limited funds. Yet, a program such as the F-22 next generation fighter benefits from other defense programs that share common development activity.
Examples are avionics and navigation.
The result is that fewer fighters can be built because they now appear to cost more per plane. If they're not careful, well meaning legislators can vote for changes in appropriations that may damage the very programs they are trying to protect. Co-opetition is the delicate balance of cooperation and competition that describes many business relationships. A value network, or Value Net, is a map that helps visualize the tangled web of interconnections in the game of business. Imagine drawing a square on paper.