The McDonnell Douglas Military Airframes The Pentagon Is Flying Deep Into The 2040s & Beyond
McDonnell Douglas disappeared in 1997. Its military aircraft are still flying—and the Pentagon is spending billions to keep them airborne.
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The most future-proofed hardware in the United States (US) military arsenal was designed by a company that legally stopped existing in 1997, and the Pentagon keeps writing bigger checks to keep it flying. McDonnell Douglas may have disappeared nearly three decades ago, but many of its military aircraft remain firmly embedded within the US arsenal.
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About this article
- Length
- 55 words · 1 min read
- Published
- October 9, 2026
- Byline
- Christian P. Martin
- Source
- Simple Flying