As F-35 Ramps Up, Legacy Fighters Face Existential Threat

摘要

Assuming that Lockheed Martin's F-35 eventually dominates foreign military markets, most fourth generation fighters will be pushed out of production. After 2018, the F-35 is likely to capture over a 50 percent share of the global fighter jet market, says Richard Abou-lafia, aerospace analyst for the Teal Group, in a February report. At about the same time, most U.S. and European fourth generation fighters are scheduled to end production, with many manufacturers exiting fighter jet production altogether. "It's not a positive picture. It's a very difficult future for the fighter industrial base globally," Aboulafia tells National Defense. Few countries require large numbers of fighter jets, and the market is too crowded to support so many manufacturers, says Doug Royce, an aircraft analyst for Forecast International.