This plan encompasses basic research, exploratory development, and applied development conducted in the United States by the Department of Defense, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Federal Aviation Administration, and Coast Guard. It concludes with a set of common themes. The United States leads the world in manufacturing aircraft and associated systems.
Military aircraft form the backbone for both our national defense and projection of power.
These air vehicles are critical to air superiority, strike, airlift, early warning, reconnaissance, command and control, ground attack and sea control. Improvements in air vehicle cost and capability therefore offer significant leveraging potential for reducing defense expenditures. Just as military air vehicles are essential to this country's national security, both military and civil air vehicles are critical to the economic security of the United States. This potentially lucrative market has attracted very significant competition from around the world. Significant technological advances in key areas will be needed to allow the U.S. aircraft industry to expand or even maintain its position in this highly competitive world market.