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Boeing Win on A-10 Contract Would Have $135 Million Impact on Georgia
Thursday January 25, 12:00 pm ET

"The Boeing A-10 program would manufacture the center wing panel structural assembly at our Macon facility if we win the A-10 contract. That work includes parts kitting, drilling, assembly and painting," said Curt Nothstine, director for Aircraft Sustainment and Modernization for Boeing's Maintenance, Modification and Upgrades business. "By placing the work in Macon, we can leverage the outstanding performance of the local workforce that we have seen on the C-17 program. We would expect to add new jobs by 2011."

The A-10 wing replacement program calls for the replacement wing sets to be delivered in parts and kitted for easy installation. The Air Force is expected to evaluate competitors on past performance, capability, total evaluated price and program schedule, before awarding the contract in Spring 2007.

"Our plan is to provide the Air Force with the skilled expertise and engineering know-how that will address the needs of the A-10 program with a low-risk, low-cost solution," continued Nothstine. "Using advanced lean manufacturing technologies, we will be able to provide a solution and assembly kit that will allow the A-10s to fly at least 20 more years. The outstanding past performance on the C-17 manufacturing work at the Macon facility provides Boeing with a strong base from which to compete for new work."

The contract is valued at up to $1.5 billion over two five-year periods. The company plans to announce Georgia-based suppliers within the month and anticipates similar financial gains in the states of Utah and Missouri.

The A-10 Thunderbolt II, first introduced in 1976, is a twin-engine jet aircraft designed for close air support of ground forces. The simple, effective and survivable single-seat aircraft can be used against all ground targets, including tanks and other armored vehicles.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $30.8 billion business. It provides network-centric system solutions to its global military, government and commercial customers. It is a leading provider of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems; the world's largest military aircraft manufacturer; the world's largest satellite manufacturer; a foremost developer of advanced concepts and technologies; a leading provider of space-based communications; the primary systems integrator for U.S. missile defense; NASA's largest contractor; and a global leader in sustainment solutions and launch services.

Boeing has unexpectedly ditched plans to fit leading-edge wireless in-flight entertainment (IFE) technology to the 787, but insists the move to the more conventional hard-wired replacement system will not impact either schedule or cost.

News of the change, which the company says was only firmly decided on in the second week of January, comes just two days after an industry analyst issued a disputed report saying some 787 customers had been told their aircraft deliveries could slide.

Boeing denies the Wachovia Capital Markets report and insists the schedule remains firm. Boeing says “there are no delivery delays in 2008 and we are still scheduled to meet entry-into-service in May 2008”.

The first flight remains on track for the end of August 2007.

Boeing’s 787 systems director Mike Sinnett says the “hard decision” to reject wireless IFE was made “because a couple of things converged on us”.

Boeing could not get 100% international confirmation from countries around the world to allocate frequencies in the IFE system’s 5GHz operating bandwidth. The frequency issue, he adds, was due to several countries requiring the bandwidth close to the IFE frequency for various air traffic, weather radar and military requirements. “We got 99% complete, but there are a couple of places in the world where those frequencies are already allocated to other uses.”

Concerns were also raised about the ability of the wireless chipset technology to use the same frequencies for multiple uses, and for it to keep pace with the expected growth in volume of seat-back content.

The IFE wires will now run to each seat through the adjacent seat track using similar housings developed for the power supply. “In the end we did not add a whole lot of weight. In fact, when we look at the antenna modules we had for each seat group, we end up with more than 45kg (100lb) of weight saved,” says Sinnett.