ST. LOUIS – A big announcement is creating an economic buzz in St. Louis. Leaders from city hall to Congress are calling it historic.
On Friday, President Donald Trump awarded Boeing with the contract to build the Air Force’s future fighter jet, the F-47. According to the Associated Press, the Pentagon says the F-47 will have stealth and penetration abilities that are far more advanced than the Air Force’s current fleet.
Community leaders say the F-47 contract not only secures a win for Boeing but will also create thousands of jobs, making St. Louis a critical hub for aerospace innovation.
Union leaders say Boeing’s win on the F-47 fighter jet is the next generation of air dominance and a significant step forward in the country’s defense.
“It’s awesome for our members,” said DeWitt Darity. “We are excited that the Boeing company was selected by air force to build the next-generation fighters. It’s work for years to come for our membership. We build the best fighter planes in the U.S. and the world.”
Local leaders area hailing the decision as transformative for the region.
Councilwoman Shalonda Webb says, “This is a game changer for the families in North County, throughout this region, but specifically here in North County, not only as a company, but also as a great employer. Unfortunately in the fall, there were several thousand people laid off in this region, and now to know that we got this great opportunity, this is a change for the better for a generation.”
Councilwoman Rita Heard-Days says, “This is fantastic for our area. Boeing is a huge employer here. Early on, we passed a charter for 100 bonds to be in this area, so that was successful. And now that we have a $1.8 billion expansion, that’s really crucial for this area. So many more jobs.”
Missouri U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt also played a pivotal role.
“We had the money to do it and Boeing got it,” said Schmitt. “This is thousands of jobs for St. Louis, for the hard-working men and women of this community, and when it’s all said and done, hundreds of billions of dollars in investments. So it’s part of St. Louis and Missouri being the defense tech capitol of the U.S. This is a big win for the region.”
Schmitt adds, “This is a massive investment so with this contract being awarded to Boeing. They are going to be able to continue to invest a higher thousands and thousands of new people to work on this next-generation fighter. This is the most advanced aircraft in the history of the world.”
Boeing released a statement about the historic deal:
“The U.S. Air Force announced Boeing [NYSE: BA] has been awarded a contract to design, build and deliver its next-generation fighter aircraft.
Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) Platform will usher in a new generation of United States fighter jets that brings leap-ahead capability in range, survivability, lethality and adaptability. The NGAD Platform is the central node in the NGAD Family of Systems.
“We recognize the importance of designing, building and delivering a 6th-generation fighter capability for the United States Air Force. In preparation for this mission, we made the most significant investment in the history of our defense business, and we are ready to provide the most advanced and innovative NGAD aircraft needed to support the mission,” said Steve Parker, interim president and chief executive officer, Boeing Defense, Space & Security.
For nearly a century, Boeing has produced many of the most advanced combat aircraft for military customers around the globe, including the P-51 Mustang, F-4 Phantom, F-15 Eagle, F/A-18 Hornet and EA-18G Growler, among others. The NGAD selection builds on Boeing’s fighter legacy and establishes a new global standard for 6th-generation capability.”
Further information on the NGAD Platform’s technical and programmatic details remains classified under United States national security and export laws.
A leading global aerospace company and top U.S. exporter, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries.
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