Boeing Moves Forward With ‘Advanced Combat Aircraft’ Site
Date Posted: June 27, 2024
Posted In: News,
From St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Boeing officials confirmed this week that they are building a manufacturing site for combat aircraft, part of the company’s $1.8 billion expansion project at its north St. Louis County complex. But recent comments from military leaders have injected new uncertainty into an Air Force program the company is reportedly pursuing.
Steve Nordlund, senior site executive for Boeing St. Louis, said Wednesday he couldn’t confirm or deny whether the company is competing to build the next generation of fighter jet for the Air Force, whether the expansion project is tied to that competition, or what other programs may one day occupy the site. But he stressed that he believes the U.S. defense industry needs to make moves to keep up with the rest of the world.
“It’s not lost on you what’s happening with the fight around the globe, and the speed our adversaries are moving at,” Nordlund said.
Nordlund referred to a new building included in the expansion as an “advanced combat aircraft” site that would nearly double Boeing’s manufacturing footprint here.
The $1.8 billion expansion project at Boeing’s north St. Louis County complex, which includes the 1.1 million-square-foot facility, is poised to become one of the largest defense projects in the region’s history. The county council approved about $155 million in tax breaks for the project in September and the company broke ground over the winter. Boeing has said the expansion is intended for “new aerospace programs,” suggesting that the project doesn’t hinge on any one contract.
“We have to make some bets,” Nordlund said. “We’ve listened to our customer, and we’re leaning forward.”
Boeing also opened a specialized lab and testing facility here last year, and plans to open an advanced post-assembly site in the second quarter of 2025.