Pentagon study: military aviation industrial not in trouble.

• Author: Erwin, Sandra I.
• Position: DEFENSEINSIDER

* For years, manufacturers of military aircraft have sounded alarms about impending doom in the industrial base. But the Defense Department does not see cause for concern.

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With the Pentagon ordering fewer new aircraft, the industry has tried to make a case that it is on the brink of losing experienced workers and of having to close facilities.

Aerospace executives point out that the manufacturing lines of major military aircraft--C-17, C-130J, F/A-18E/F, F-22, F-15, F-16--are scheduled to close between 2010 and 2015. They forecast that by 2020, fewer new aircraft will be in production: the F-35, E-2, P-8 and KC-X tanker.

The Pentagon's new long-term aviation blueprint, "Aircraft Investment Plan: Fiscal Years 2011-2040," does not foresee major industrial-base issues.

"Although there are impacts to specific corporate interests in certain sectors, there are no immediate concerns about the robustness of the American aviation...