Why Has the Cost of Fixed-Wing Aircraft Risen?: A Macroscopic Examination of the Trends in U.S. Military Aircraft Costs over the Past Several Decades

This report explores why, in recent decades, military fixed-wing aircraft costs have escalated beyond the rates of commonly used inflation indices, examining both economy-driven factors that the Services cannot control and customer-driven ones that they can. The authors found that this trend of cost increases is true for all types of aircraft patrol, cargo, trainer, bomber, attack, fighter, and electronic warfare.