ABSTRACT
In the case of the DoD, programs are geared to procuring advanced aircraft and systems and to ensuring the competitive strength of the U.S. aerospace/defence industrial base. While the aim of ensuring the global dominance of the U.S. LCA sector may not be the explicit purpose of these programs, this, in effect, is the clear by-product of DoD aerospace initiatives. As the largest budget holder for R&D in the world, the DoD has the power to shape the overall strength of industrial sectors utilized by U.S. defence procurement. Quite simply, to maintain military superiority the U.S. must ensure the health and vitality of the defence/industrial base. Because Boeing, the one remaining U.S. LCA firm, is a major defence contractor it inevitably benefits from DoD R&D, which can be spun-off to civil applications.
