How can Stavatti compete with established industry leaders?
There are three remaining US Domestic prime contractors which are capable of producing modern fighter aircraft: Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. Prior to the JSF, Boeing has never build a jet fighter or a manned supersonic aircraft. Lockheed Martin has only built one operational supersonic fighter, the F-104, which although found success on the international market, failed to realize major USAF service (Lockheed actually sold more of the unsuccessful F-104 then all the anticipated sales of F-22s and subsonic F-117s combined). Northrop Grumman is known only for the production of small, light supersonic fighters (with the exception of its abandoned Grumman heritage) which found only limited service with the USAF. The aerospace industry has changed dramatically. Current major prime contractors consist only of Boeing and Lockheed Martin as Northrop Grumman has shifted from aerospace to information technology/electronic systems. Stavatti s core domestic competitors, Boeing and
