How successful was AIA’s first Five–Year R&D Plan?
Between 1999 and 2003, $89 billion was added to Defense Department, NASA, FAA and other agency R&D funding. Our goal was to add $50 billion. While the Defense Department research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E) budgets were increased by $69 billion, NASA and FAA budgets did not receive the funding our plan called for.

Why is AIA calling for a new R&D plan?
Basic, long-term aerospace R&D has always been a high-risk proposition. Without adequate government investment and an integrated national consensus to guide policies and programs, American leadership in aerospace, and the social, political and economic benefits that have accrued from that leadership, will falter. While we cut back on R&D, nations in Europe and Asia are targeting aerospace as a strategic industry and investing heavily in R&D. These countries are forging ahead with research in areas such as civil aviation, helicopters and satellites. And their companies are gaining global market share at an alarming rate. As an example: American manufacturers are forced to test aircraft in Europe’s wind tunnels because U.S. wind tunnels, for lack of government investment, are outdated and obsolete.

Is your plan for space compatible with the president’s?
The U.S. aerospace industry supports the president’s space vision. Our plan, however, advocates spending more money up front -- $20 billion (averaging $4 billion a year over each of the next five years) -- and having a new human-rated vehicle by 2010. The administration has budgeted $12 billion over the next five years, proposing to fly an unmanned crew exploration vehicle by 2008 with manned flight by 2014. Our plan asks for a new vehicle sooner, while the president’s vision goes farther – calling for human missions to the Moon and Mars.

How does AIA’s plan relate to the FAA’s Operational Evolution Plan (OEP)?
The OEP is a short-term rolling ten year plan. AIA is calling for a long-term effort to revolutionize the air traffic management system. We are very supportive of the effort of the Joint Planning and Development Office, which is taking the intra-agency lead on this process.

The AIA plan begins in 2004 through 2008. We are already discussing the FY 2005 budget so isn’t your effort out of sync with the budget process?
We’ve been working on this effort for over a year and are now just releasing it. Also, our efforts to increase aerospace R&D are on-going and we are starting a renewed public advocacy effort with the release of this plan today.

What is your analysis of aerospace R&D in the administrations 2004 budget request?
DoD RDT&E is funded at a high level. NASA has increased slightly, but not as much as we requested. FAA’s budget has actually declined, which causes us the greatest concern.

How much money would you like reallocated in Defense Department funding to address the underserved technologies, including aircraft engine components and propulsion systems, avionics, solid rocket motors, rotorcraft, and global positioning system modernization?
We have not identified a dollar amount and believe that is best done by Defense Department management. In any event, we are not talking about huge amounts of money and given the size of the RDT&E budget, this should not be a problem.

How does your plan address the U.S. helicopter industry, which is suffering in the global marketplace?
Increases in NASA aeronautics funding we are advocating would support rotorcraft requirements. AIA is working with other organizations and the government to develop a rotorcraft R&D plan as requested by the FY 2003 Reauthorization Bill. The proposed cancellation of the Comanche helicopter will affect the balance of competitiveness of the U.S. rotorcraft industry on the world market. The cancellation underscores the importance of developing rotorcraft technologies to ensure that with one less helicopter program, the U.S. helicopter sector and industrial base becomes stronger, not weaker.