Author Description

America has a long tradition of cooperation through military assistance with other nations that share common values and defense interests. Arms transfers are an important element of this cooperation. Moreover, the United States has found arms transfers, especially military fighter aircraft, a valuable instrument of foreign and domestic policy. Soon, the U.S. Air Force will receive the world's most advanced and capable fighter, the F-22. Undoubtedly, an aircraft such as this will be attractive to foreign purchasers. The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it offers a general framework for junior and senior decision makers to use as a touchstone when considering the transfer of advanced air technologies. Second, it specifically addresses the exportability issues associated with the F-22-which other countries have already begun to express interest in acquiring. With this in mind, the paper specifically focuses on whether or not the U.S. should consider risking the potential for migration of critical technologies such as stealth by exporting the F-22. If the aircraft is to be exported, the study further investigates who might be an eligible buyer and what factors must be given weight when making such a decision. Originally, the intent of this paper was simply to investigate the exportability of the F-22. To answer this question, however, an air-export framework needed to exist in order to provide a structure for thinking about the issues associated with transferring exclusive technologies. A framework of this sort does not exist. Therefore, one was created-in a rather didactic manner-where issues germane to the F-22 naturally fed the policy framework and vice versa. By doing so, the scope of the thesis expanded to include a logical method for considering any future high-tech air export such as the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).