Blog

Aug 20, 2023

Boeing’s new F

BERKELEY — The Indonesian government has reached a tentative agreement to buy F-15EX fighter jets from Boeing, a potential boost for a key production line in St. Louis County. The groups signed a

BERKELEY — The Indonesian government has reached a tentative agreement to buy F-15EX fighter jets from Boeing, a potential boost for a key production line in St. Louis County.

The groups signed a memorandum of understanding Monday for the purchase of as many as 24 aircraft. The timing for delivery isn’t yet known, and the deal is subject to approval by the U.S. government.

“There is no other fighter like the F-15 in the world, and this platform will put Indonesia at the top of air dominance capabilities,” Mark Sears, Boeing Fighters vice president and program manager, said in a statement.

Boeing makes F-15s at a rate of 1.5 planes per month, and plans to increase to two per month in December 2024.

By that logic, the deal announced this week could represent about a year’s worth of work for the production line, said Loren Thompson, a defense analyst at the Lexington Institute.

“It is definitely a big deal,” Thompson said.

It is also more work for Boeing’s engineering and manufacturing labor force, which the company needs to maintain for future programs, Thompson said. The skills needed to build the F-15s, he added, are hard to come by.

“F-15EX is a bridge to the future,” Thompson said.

The EX is the most advanced version of the F-15 yet. It made its first flight in February 2021, and the Air Force received the first plane the following month.

Indonesia’s Minister of Defense, Prabowo Subianto, visited Boeing’s production facility in Berkeley on Monday for the signing of the memorandum of understanding.

Boeing has about 15,800 employees in the St. Louis area, its second-largest workforce after Washington state. The St. Louis operations are mostly focused on defense products like the F-18 and F-15 fighter jets, the T-7A trainer plane and the MQ-25 refueling drone. It makes munitions in St. Charles.

Boeing announced plans to increase its output of 737 Max planes to 38 per month from 31, despite a production issue affecting some aircraft. The company is also planning to raise the output of its 787 Dreamliner to five planes per month later this year, up from a current rate of three.

Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.

Business of health care

A local hotelier plans to restore the historic building, near Enterprise Center. The famous mural will stay.

Known for its specialty burgers and shakes with homemade ice cream, the restaurant shared in a Facebook post that it will be serving customers…

Great Heart Brewing Company, a new European-inspired brewpub, has been unanimously approved by Olivette’s city council.

The listings were removed after the newspaper inquired.

Similar to its flagship location in LaSalle Park, 4 Hands Chesterfield will have an arcade and a variety of draft options, along with hard sel…