The U.S. Aerospace & Defense industry is today the world leader in the creation, production and manufacture of technically advanced aerospace systems, space programs and military weapons. It’s primary function is to provide support for the U.S. military by developing new aircraft, spacecraft, defense systems and space systems. However, as with all branches of the military, there are many others involved. Some of these other components include systems engineering & technology, systems management, program engineers and program managers.
It is interesting to note that the U.S. aerospace & defense industry has been growing significantly over the last 60 years. This is because the Cold War made a lot of sense at the time. With so many countries with long-term military plans it was sensible to invest in a better way of protecting our nation. Therefore, many of the components that are involved in aircraft manufacturing were designed during this period in time. Today there are some very sophisticated aircraft and spacecrafts in service which were designed during this period. Many of these aircraft are still in use today, although some have been retired.
One type of aircraft that has been retired in recent decades is the U.S. Air Force’s version of the F-22. This aircraft was known as the Pandemic, after the swine flu which swept through the United States a few years ago. It was believed at the time that this type of aircraft was necessary in order to protect the United States from nuclear war.
Currently there is another type of military aircraft that has been in use for quite some time, namely the MRO (Metal Reality Research) aircraft. This aircraft is being used by the United States Navy to test the Metal Reality Research Vehicles, or MRVs. These MRVs are designed to protect the country from electromagnetic attacks, although this weaponry is not used in combat by the Navy.
The United States Navy’s long-term unmanned aerial vehicle program, the MRO, has been around since the early 1980s. The original purpose of the MRO was to develop software which would enable the Navy to gather data on the characteristics of foreign ship movements in international waters. Although the program did not produce any weapons, it did help to develop the value chain for unmanned aerial vehicles. The United States Navy has since then upgraded its MRV fleet with additional hardware which has increased the number and depth of capabilities.
Perhaps the most important area of military aircraft development has been in the area of supply chain management. Supply chain management has existed since the inception of the military, but the advent of smaller and more agile electronic systems has required a new approach to the way that this area of military aviation is conducted. Although the original supply chain model focused on quantity and speed, the electronic age requires an entirely different approach to the problem. Modern military aircraft must be able to operate in a more challenging environment than their larger predecessors could tolerate, and this calls for a different mindset when it comes to designing the supply chain to support these new aircraft.
There are several challenges which face aerospace companies in this modern era. One of these challenges is the increasing proliferation of miniaturized airborne electronic systems (or “mini-aircrafts”) which are capable of carrying military or civilian payloads. These electronics, often referred to as “mini-circuits,” are inherently smaller than radar and satellite systems and therefore require a different kind of supply chain to operate in today’s battle space. Although this can result in increased costs for the aerospace industry, companies in both industries are working toward greater efficiencies in their operations. This will result in a reduction in cost savings for U.S. taxpayers, as well as better capabilities for national security.
Another significant challenge facing civil aerospace & defense companies in this era is the threat of long-term contamination of low-grade chemicals by biological warfare agents which could be spread during aerial refueling or other operations. Such pathogens would undermine the ability of civil aircraft to protect the public from such aviation risks as low-grade chemical weapons, chemical aerosols, or biological weapons released from aircraft during air raids. It is apparent that there are many areas of common concern in both aerospace and civil markets. However, these two markets require different technologies and a different manner of addressing these challenges.