AIA: U.S. Military Aircraft Sales In Decline
The final Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor rolled off the assembly line in Marietta, Ga., last December accompanied by employees and a marching band. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)
The final Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor rolled off the assembly line in Marietta, Ga., last December accompanied by employees and a marching band. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)

Sales of U.S. military aircraft will fall by 2.4 percent this year to $58.2 billion, the lowest level since 2006, according to a preliminary estimate of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA). Sales are expected to decline by another 10 percent next year as budget cuts force the Pentagon to reduce procurement spending, the association said in its year-end review and forecast, released earlier this month.