Raytheon has a big advantage in that the U.S. is a leading provider of combat aircraft to the world.

The vast majority of Chinese air-to-air missile sales are to its own government, and those that are exported have little effect on the overall market. Japan is forbidden to export weapons and Taiwan has yet to sell an air-to-air missile to a foreign customer.

Those countries buying U.S.-built fighters usually arm them with U.S.-built weapons, although there are exceptions, MBDA is aiming to have its air-to-air missiles integrated with the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), which is being developed by the United States, to lessen this advantage.

If you don?t fly them all the time, what?s the point of having them?