Author Archives: Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D

WTO: Airbus Tanker Developed Using Banned Business Practices The World Trade Organization report condemning European subsidies to Airbus contains a section detailing how the A330 widebody transport was developed using practices banned by current trade agreements. Airbus parent-company EADS has proposed the A330 as a candidate for the [Read More...]
U.S. Wins Sweeping Victory In WTO Aircraft Subsidies Case The World Trade Organization’s confidential final report on European commercial-aircraft subsidies sides with the United States in finding that much of the aid Airbus has received is banned under current trade rules. The report thus confirms a preliminary finding in [Read More...]
F-35 Cost Rise Is Speculative, But Progress Is Real Issue Brief Last week brought both good news and bad news for the F-35 joint strike fighter, the biggest weapons program currently being funded by the Pentagon. On the plus side, the Marine version of the plane demonstrated for the [Read More...]
A Bailout That Worked: U.S. Autos Top Global Quality Surveys I sure felt lonely two years ago when I was defending the bailout of U.S. auto companies. To me it was obvious that the circumstances driving General Motors and Chrysler to the brink were a unique combination of record fuel [Read More...]
Beat This! The Lowball Price Airbus Offered On Its Tanker Was No Bargain Although Northrop Grumman employees are deeply disappointed that they could not build a convincing business case for bidding in the Air Force’s pending tanker procurement, there is one big advantage to pulling out now. When the World Trade Organization releases [Read More...]
Lynn Rejection Of Need For Strategic Programs Fund Neglects Key Concerns This week’s issue of Inside the Navy includes deputy defense secretary Bill Lynn’s response to a funding idea I floated before the House seapower subcommittee in January. I had proposed that one way of covering the cost of a replacement [Read More...]
Study: European Aircraft Subsidies Have Harmed America Issue Brief The Lexington Institute today is releasing a study of European commercial-aircraft subsidies that documents the severe damage they have done to the U.S. aviation industry, and calls on the federal government to make Europe live up to its [Read More...]
Finmeccanica Purchase Of DRS Technologies Looks Smart As Market Fundamentals Shift On March 16, I had the opportunity to address the senior management of DRS Technologies at its annual leadership conference in Florida. DRS is a well-positioned domestic supplier of defense electronic systems and other military items that was acquired by [Read More...]
European Aircraft Subsidies: A Study Of Unfair Trade Practices The United States historically has been the dominant supplier of commercial transports — airliners — to the global market. As recently as 20 years ago, Boeing and other U.S. companies controlled 85% of the market. But in 1970, a group [Read More...]
Despite Predicted Cost Increases, Many F-35 Program Metrics Are Positive Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley summarized the outlook for the F-35 joint strike fighter program succinctly on March 2, when he told a group of reporters, “Really, there are no good alternatives to F-35 at this point…This is [Read More...]
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