Air Domain

Domain Definition

The Air Domain Industry consists of all products and services related to aviation, in particular as they may relate to the national security of the United States of America. This is a broad field, including manned and unmanned aircraft, systems for operating aircraft such as avionics and sensors, munitions that may be fired or dropped from aircraft, and the facilities, materials, and manpower used to manufacture, support, and repair aircraft. It is not restricted to purely military products, as commercial and general aviation products are often dual-use or can be repurposed.

National Security Capabilities

The first recorded use of aircraft for military purposes was in 1793, when the French employed a hydrogen balloon to observe enemy troop movements.1 The use of aviation for national security purposes has broadened significantly since then, especially after the advent of heavier-than-air flight in 1903. Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) has been a staple capability since that first balloon but has expanded recently with the introduction of unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The delivery of ordnance onto enemy positions on land and ships on water became prevalent during World War One and developed into tactical and strategic bombing through World War Two and beyond. The ability of aircraft to attack other aircraft to prevent reconnaissance or bombing also developed during World War One and has continued to advance to the point of discussion of Sixth Generation fighter aircraft and/or systems. Aircraft can transport troops and material virtually anywhere around the world more quickly than any other transportation method, allowing global power projection.

Thesis

The U.S. is the world’s leader in Air Domain technology innovation and manufacturing and has been at the forefront of flight for over a century. Over the last two decades, the Air Domain adapted to economic fluctuations marked by civil market expansion and shrinking defense budgets as well as continued rigid regulatory and acquisition policies. This has reduced the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) through mergers and acquisitions, supply chain globalization, and off-shoring of manufacturing capability. This has left the air domain industry ill-prepared to support the National Security Strategy (NSS) transition to great power competition. This paper depicts the state of the Air Domain industry today and identifies emerging technologies and processes, concluding with policy recommendations to maintain U.S. national security through military, economic, and industrial power.

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