After spending the late 1980s and early 1990s in the doldrums, the business jet aviation market is experiencing a healthy growth spurt. In 1995, there were 337 business jet deliveries worth $3.3 billion. This figure rose to 352 jets worth $3.6 billion in 1996. Deliveries of business jets in 1997 rose above 400, worth more than $5 billion, one of the best single-year increases in the market's history. And 1998 should see deliveries of 420 jets worth $5.4 billion.

While the long-term future of the manned combat aircraft is heavily debated, the future of the manned strategic bomber is fairly obvious: in the long run, it is doomed. The U.S. has the only active production strategic bomber program, and the most capable bomber fleet. Russia, which inherited most of the ex-Soviet bomber force, has the only other strategic bomber force. It flies some Tupolev Tu-95s and Tu-160s, but these are not being upgraded. The replacement program, Sukhoi's T-60, is dormant.

The commercial jet transport market has returned to prosperity. Orders are up, airlines are making money, and only about 200 used planes are on the market, down from 1,000 a few years ago. Two questions remain: is this recovery sustainable, and does a rising tide lift all boats?