Founded in 1919, the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) is the voice of the American aerospace and defense industry on a wide range of critical national security and economic issues. With policymakers across the government, our work as an advocate and convener is essential to shedding light on the industry’s impact and empowering its future. We advocate for effective federal investments, accelerated deployment of innovative technologies, policies that enhance our global competitiveness, and recruitment and retention efforts that support a capable and diverse 21st century workforce. We are proud to help our nearly 340 members expand their impact on the modern world—and proud to help them pave the way to what’s next. For nearly 100 years, since the Association's founding in 1919 by many of aviation's early pioneers including Orville Wright, AIA has been the industry voice shaping the policies that matter most to our members. AIA's expertise represents the interests of manufacturers and suppliers of civil, military, and business aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial systems, space systems, aircraft engines, missiles, materiel, and related components, equipment, services, and information technology.