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Boeing Receives $1.2 Billion Contract for Missouri-Made Fighter Jets

  • July 20, 2020

The United States Air Force has awarded Boeing a $1.2 billion contract for Missouri-made F-15EX fighter jets. The new fighters, manufactured at Boeing’s Defense Space & Security plant in St. Louis, will replace older F-15C/D’s in the Air Force inventory.

The F-15EX is a two-seat fighter with the capability of carrying a load of advanced weapons. It comes with a new electronic warfare system, advanced cockpit systems, and other improvements. Boeing says the aircraft “carries more weapons than any other fighter in its class, and can launch hypersonic weapons up to 22 feet long and weighing up to 7,000 pounds.”

Missouri Senator Roy Blunt called the F-15 program “critical” to the country’s defense. It also helps sustain thousands of jobs in Missouri. Boeing’s regional workforce has grown by 2,000 people to about 16,000 in recent years.

This growth highlights some of the reasons why Missouri is the best location for aerospace and defense companies to invest: talent, a history of success, and an existing supply chain thanks to an abundance of 100+ world-class aerospace and defense companies across the state.

Today, those 16,000 Boeing team members in Missouri build the F/A-18, EA-18, F-15 and T-7 fighter jets, the new unmanned MQ-25 refueling drone, along with a huge array of military ordinance at Boeing’s Defense, Space and Security facilities,.

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