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Around 2012, the United States Navy plans to have only two types of combat aircraft: the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). The F/A-18E/F is scheduled for operation in 2002 and the JSF in 2012. The Super Hornet is designed to perform medium-range and deep-penetration strike missions. The JSF will be the Navy's first stealth aircraft and will perform deep-strike and interdiction missions and be able to operate against first-day-of-war enemy defenses. The planes are being developed by Boeing Co. and a team of Lockheed Martin Corp., Northrop Grumman Corp., and British Aerospace PLC.

Wars are increasingly being fought on a regional basis, rather than on a global scale, and data information has become an important part of the defense strategy. Governments are also investing in cutting-edge technology to make that data secure.

Simulation display technologies have advanced remarkably in recent years, and the uses of such technologies have broadened as a result. A myriad of aerospace simulation devices are described, including FlightSafety International's Vital ChromaView.

Bell Helicopter Textron is positioning its UH-1 upgrade, the UH-1 HP Huey 2, to serve two market niches: nations that now operate aging UH-1's, and nations whose militaries have shown a willingness to buy high-performance helicopters through the US Foreign Military Sales program.

Robinson Helicopter Co's R44, a piston-engine aircraft aimed at the corporate market, delivers performance comparable to turbine-powered helicopters. As of Feb 1993, Robinson had received more than 135 orders for the four-place aircraft, which the firm hopes to produce at a rate of two per day.

Global Helicopter Technology Inc recommends that the Army keep its fleet of UH-1 helicopters, and replace the engines with the T800 from Light Helicopter Turbine Engine Co. Many of the UH-1s have only 5,000-6,000 hours of flight time.

UNC Helicopter and General Electric Aircraft Engines are developing the UH-1/T700 Ultra Huey helicopter for the Army and the National Guard and Reserve. Both military branches are considering retiring many of their utility helicopters.

An American-European consortium expects to sell about 1,000 Panther 800 utility helicopters to the US Army and National Guard to replace their aging fleets. The Panther has a French airframe already in use by the US Coast Guard, and a US-designed turbine engine.

Sky Technology Vehicle Design and Development Co is designing a small single-engine aircraft that can be driven like an automobile. As conceived, the aircraft is small enough to be driven on highways, but larger versions may be developed for corporate, military, and law enforcement use.

Most rotary-wing aircraft makers expect slow sales growth in the 1990's, due in part to declining military budgets and in part to hard currency shortages among willing buyer nations. Demand for helicopters is soft as the 1992 Farnborough show approaches, due to a glut of used aircraft on the market.

Both Bombardier's Canadair Group and Gulfstream Aerospace (GA) intend to develop very long-range aircraft for the corporate travel market. Canadair's Project Global Express is based on its Regional Jet, while GA is pushing its Gulfstream 5.

The U.S. Navy's T45TS Undergraduate Jet Pilot Training Program is revolutionizing the way the Navy trains its pilots. The program's advanced electronics equipment and how it works in the classroom is described.