It has produced a highly potent military air force, a world class aviation transportation system, and the world's most sophisticated space related capabilities. Over the past decade there has been a dramatic decline in investment in aerospace research and development spending. The toll of this decline is beginning to show. Reduced investment in aerospace research and development has already caused talent to leave the industry. Fresh talent is harder to recruit.
Innovation is, no doubt, suffering.
Masked by record sales, the U.S. aerospace industry's competitiveness is also suffering. It is time for the nation to turn its attention to this growing problem. Unless the federal government, in partnership with the aerospace industry, increases and sustains a robust investment in aerospace research and development, we can expect to see our international leadership further challenged and the margin of our military superiority narrowed. Strong investment in aerospace research and development is critical to the nation's national security, economic well being and international competitiveness. As the National Research Council noted last year in its report, Recent Trends in U.S. Aeronautics Research and Technology , aeronautics is a research and technology intensive enterprise.