Richard Aboulafia
Richard Aboulafia
attack businesses corporate familiar jets less market regional risk trying
Reinforcing their traditional businesses -- regional jets and corporate jets -- makes a lot of sense. It's familiar turf, they know the customers, and there's much less risk than trying to attack a market that's got two entrenched competitors.
jets light market players several trying wants
We have no idea how the market for very light jets will look in 25 years from now. There are several players trying to get into this market, but we really don't know what the market wants yet.
basically business convert guys money oil taking trying
These guys are basically taking oil money and trying to convert it into a long-term value-added business. That's not dumb.
competitor market worse
The only thing worse than cannibalizing your own market is having your competitor do it.
both claim compromise looks reasonable sides
Both sides can claim victory. It looks like a reasonable compromise.
blue chip orders
Boeing has all the blue chip orders. Airbus only has 100 orders for the A350.
golden
If they do this right, they are golden for a long time.
demand production
I don't know which is more bloated, the production expectations or the demand expectations.
favor trends
If these trends continue, it's going to be 60-40 in favor of Boeing ( BA ) by the end of the decade, and there's even a possibility of a two-thirds, one-third split.
afford current either force hollow iraq martin message structure thinking
Basically, we're going to either have a hollow force or a truncated force structure -- the message here is that we couldn't really afford Iraq and our current military. If Boeing and Lockheed Martin aren't thinking like that in public, they are in private.
choice iraq
No one was told that there was a choice between Iraq and recapitalizing the nation's military.
regional
It has a big feel in a regional jet.
analysis concept endorse
The analysis of alternatives did nothing more than endorse the very concept of the obvious.
add money operating simpler smart systems
I think the smart money is on smaller, simpler drones and the operating systems that make them effective. That's where Lockheed is well positioned to add value.