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The federal government awarded Boeing Co. a contract to build 351 combat training aircraft, a setback for a plant in South Carolina vying for $ 9.2 billion and several hundred orders jobs.
The Defense Ministry announced Thursday its decision to replace the aging T-38C Talon fleet with the Boeing T-X aircraft by 2034.
Lockheed Martin proposed to build its simulator version at its Greenville plant, an aircraft it calls the T50-A. Leslie Farmer, a spokeswoman for the Bethesda-based defense contractor, said the company was "very disappointed" in selecting the government.
"We think we have come up with a very solid solution and are waiting for the debriefing of the client to have more details on this decision," Farmer said.
Lockheed Martin plans to continue manufacturing the F-16 fighter aircraft at its Greenville site (above). File / Provided / Lockheed Martin
Last year, Lockheed Martin transferred production of its F-16 Falcon from Texas to South Carolina. One of the fears in the North East was that the company would relocate the line back to India if it had not landed the jet trainer job. This could still happen, to a certain extent.
"We understand and support India's requirement to establish a production line in India," said Farmer. "If India chooses the F-16, the intention is to build F-16s for the Indian Air Force, India, in conjunction with Tata Advanced Systems Limited."
At the same time, other contracts with Bahrain and the Slovak Air Force, as well as "discussions with many other customers", should maintain the F-16 line in the north of country "until the mid-2020s and maybe even longer". I said.
"With respect to the Greenville site, we still have many opportunities to seize, including the growth of our sustainment operations and the F-16 production line," Farmer said.
Lockheed Martin employees inspect one of the T-50A training aircraft manufactured by the aerospace giant at its Greenville plant. File / provided
Lockheed Martin was one of three bidders vying for the construction of the T-38 replacement. The third was Italy Leonardo.
Last year, a Lockheed official said that the Greenville plant had an advantage because it was already manufacturing the T50-A, an upgraded version of a jet that trained more than 1,800 combat pilots in South Korea. , Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Iraq.
The company predicted that the contract would create 300 to 400 jobs in the Northeast.
Kevin Landmesser, senior vice president of the Greenville Area Development Corporation, said the region was disappointed, but the process allowed Lockheed Martin officials to better understand what Greenville can offer.
"On the bright side, it's that it has led to the production of the F-16," he said. "They're going to build them here, buildings are being renovated right now."
Boeing, which employs more than 6,000 workers at its 787 Dreamliner plant and other sites in North Charleston, will build the T-X instructor in St. Louis, the home of its defense business. His partner on the new jet is the Swedish aerospace company Saab.
David Wren and Emily Williams of Post and mail contributed to this report. Contact John McDermott 843-937-5572 or follow him on Twitter @byjohnmcdermott
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