Beyond The Sprues

Modelling => Ideas & Inspiration => Scenarios => Topic started by: Diamondback on April 21, 2014, 01:47:56 PM

Title: Collapse of a Major Int'l Defense Contractor?
Post by: Diamondback on April 21, 2014, 01:47:56 PM
So, having seen the order-book reports from Dubai and other things the past several years, and seen the trends in fighter orders, I've been doing some musing...

What happens when one of the prime aircraft suppliers to the Free World collapses?

Taking one theoretical case: say, Airbus's gain and Boeing's loss of market-share in the commercial sector, paired with losing fighter-contract competitions left and right with Super Hornet and Strike Eagle alike being knocked out in country after country by F-35, and the "Too Big To Fail" pulls an LTV. Would we see a GM-style nationalization, or a forced merger, or a Let It Fail, or would they sell off the planebuilding business units and strip down to focus on related technologies like Curtiss-Wright, or some other scenario?

The question for debate is, what are the next dominoes to fall in such a scenario? Let's try to keep this to the "WHIF Future", rather than attacking the scenario of discussion--I'm just setting the stage here.
Title: Re: Collapse of a Major Int'l Defense Contractor?
Post by: Diamondback on April 23, 2014, 03:18:07 AM
Just to clarify a few things, I'm raising the question purely as a theoretical exercise out of curiosity. I had originally posted this in Sparring Room because frankly I expected the mere subject itself to bring heated commentary...
Title: Re: Collapse of a Major Int'l Defense Contractor?
Post by: Kerick on April 23, 2014, 04:04:56 AM
I've seen some adds for Boeing looking to update or modify aircraft of any make or model so it looks like they are being flexible to make money where they can. As when the Berlin wall fell and defense contractors everywhere were hit I would expect to see downsizing and mergers.
Title: Re: Collapse of a Major Int'l Defense Contractor?
Post by: Nexus1171 on October 26, 2014, 08:49:25 AM
I just figure the manufacturer would be bailed out, the aircraft would be scooped up by other countries and used for "fighting terrorists" which by that I mean anybody the government doesn't like: At least in the US by next year they plan to have 30,000 drones over the US, some can be armed, and since 2013, our administration has been "making the claim that it has the right to kill anyone, anywhere on Earth, at any time, for secret reasons based on secret evidence, in a secret process undertaken by unidentified officials." (http://www.vox.com/2014/9/29/6862861/john-oliver-drone-predator-pakistan) as eloquently stated by Rosa Brooks who was a former DoD employee and current professor at Georgetown University (I wish that was a joke)

Some of what I said is in a flippant tone (the first 1/4 to 1/2); the rest sadly not flippant at all.