Foreign companies have won US contracts for tankers (asterisk duly noted), VIP helicopters, light transports and light helicopters. All are huge achievements for foreign industry, but it's important that none of the above are strictly "combat" aircraft. They don't carry weapons.
Consider that glass ceiling shattered if the US Special Operations Command follows through with its plan to buy its first L-3 Communications/Alenia Aeronautica AC-27J gunship (see blog below).
Earlier this week, I asked Steven Grundman, former head of the Pentagon's industry policy office and now a vice president for the CRA consultancy, if he expected the US military to ever outsource a combat aircraft to a foreign company.
His reply was prescient:
"When you get the military services in that mode where we need capability for a decreasing amount of money, I think that glass ceiling will get busted. There's not that many protectionists in the Pentagon."
Consider that glass ceiling shattered if the US Special Operations Command follows through with its plan to buy its first L-3 Communications/Alenia Aeronautica AC-27J gunship (see blog below).
Earlier this week, I asked Steven Grundman, former head of the Pentagon's industry policy office and now a vice president for the CRA consultancy, if he expected the US military to ever outsource a combat aircraft to a foreign company.
His reply was prescient:
"When you get the military services in that mode where we need capability for a decreasing amount of money, I think that glass ceiling will get busted. There's not that many protectionists in the Pentagon."
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