Posted on 03/22/2025 5:30:34 AM PDT by Fish Speaker
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following report was originally published on July 1, 2024 under the title “As Air Force deliberates sixth-gen fighter plans, much is at stake for Boeing,” at a time when the future of the Air Force’s Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) effort was in question. With today’s announcement that Boeing has won the NGAD contract to build the fighter jet now dubbed the F-47, Breaking Defense is reupping the story, as it gives insights into just how important winning this competition was for the future of Boeing’s defense arm.
ST LOUIS, Mo., and WASHINGTON — It’s no secret that Boeing is in a bind. Regulators are scrutinizing the planemaker’s commercial business, whose woes have also attracted the attention of federal prosecutors. And ill-performing, fixed-price development contracts are forcing the company’s defense unit to hemorrhage cash, despite executives’ best efforts to staunch the bleeding.
At least for its defense business, Boeing executives are hoping that futuristic air dominance technologies can help turn things around. And to that end, the company has leaned forward, betting billions to build up new manufacturing facilities at the firm’s hub of fighter production in St. Louis, where the legacy F/A-18 line nears its end.
But in recent weeks, a potential problem has been brewing for Boeing’s ambitious expansion plans. A key customer driving the need for new facilities, the US Air Force, has started openly raising questions about the future of the service’s planned Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter, casting doubt on what work may be available here in the Gateway to the West.
(Excerpt) Read more at breakingdefense.com ...
I found the following quote amusing:
“Do you hand the monopoly on fifth- and sixth-generation fighters to Lockheed? Or do you hope that Boeing, which seems to be trying to decide if rocks are still edible, somehow could execute?” he said, adding that it’s unclear whether the Boeing has a design team capable of developing a new advanced aircraft.
US unveils sixth-generation F-47 fighter jet — whose name is an homage to Trump
I worked with Boeing over 20 years ago. Was not impressed at all. They were very good at quickly generating elaborate, aggressive schedules. But horrible at executing them — mostly because their plans were infeasible for every purpose but getting their award fee from the Government.
The other thing I remember is that they would transfer/relocate their top managers every 2 years or so. Why they did this was always a headscratcher to me, but someone once told me it was a way for managers to prove their loyalty to the company.
Earth to Boeing: Engineers - good. MBAs not good.
Figure it out.
Let’s call this what it is - a Boeing bailout.
That's certainly what it looks like.
Because their planes are falling apart and they couldn't bring back two astronauts so they needed a lifeline before they go under?
I hope they can ditch DEI and make a good product once again but something's severely wrong with the company. They need to bring on Elon or have some people from Boeing work at Spacex and find out how to streamline and improve their operation. They're a bloated organization attached to fedgov by the hip.
” which seems to be trying to decide if rocks are still edible,”
That is funny. However, apparently the AF has been working on this for 4 or 5yrs already.
As an aside, a military plane enthusiast friend doesn’t like the numerical jump to 47. (yes, he gets the connection to Trump, but it skips over 1/2 the 30’s and 40’s.)
Another esoteric fighter
Not sure that’s best route
Split up Boeing. Defense Boeing and Civilian Boeing should be separate companies.
Good idea
Stated simply, President Trump has made a decision to keep two military aircraft manufacturers in the U.S. industrial base - one of them being Boeing.
I hope Boeing doesn’t mess this up.
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