In budget-strapped times, it is more cost effective to add a new generation of dogfight missiles to an older aircraft than to buy a new aircraft. Likewise, ships and many other weapons categories. Missiles offer to increase the combat capabilities of many weapons platforms without the need for the expense of replacing the system itself. |
It's a Chinese menu type of situation, and there are a whole bunch of options. |
We believe that declines in world defense spending in the 1990s have bottomed out in the past few years so far as missiles are concerned. |