Marion Blakey, the president and CEO of the AIA, said the defense and aviation industry is what she called an ally of the middle-class, a strategic asset to the U.S., and an economic driver whose largest customer, the Pentagon, should be spared any budget cuts.

Blakey talked about protecting the acquisitions' share of defense funding and suggested that procurement and research spending be inflated to 35 percent of the DoD budget.

AIA does support reducing the deficit and even the drive for efficiency called for by Defense Secretary Robert Gates. But beyond spending, AIA expressed concern that some officials may try to translate the secretary's goals into more regulation.

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