Boeing gets huge new copter deal for Ridley plant
RIDLEY » A $2.4 billion contract to help build a new line of helicopters has the Boeing Co. flying high and workers at the company’s Ridley township plant are in line to reap the benefits.
The U.S. Air Force announced Monday that Boeing would team with Leonardo Helicopters in Philadelphia to help build up to
84 MH-139 helicopters for the U.S. Air Force to replace their fleet of UH-1N “Huey” aircrafts, some of which are now more than 40 years old. The Hueys are used to protect the country’s intercontinental ballistic missile bases.
According to Boeing, they will be teaming up with Philadelphia-based Leonardo Helicopters to build the aircrafts, which will be based on the latter’s
AW139 commercial helicopter built in their Northeast Philadelphia plant. As part of the contract, Leonardo will build the airframe and Boeing will modify it with military equipment before delivery to the Air Force.
The first MG-139 is expected to enter service by
2021.
The U.S. Air Force announced the initial part of the deal, which is worth
$325 million and is part of an overall $2.4 billion program. Between Boeing here in Delco and Leonardo in Philadelphia, the deal will help preserve as many as
500 jobs.
“We’re grateful for the Air Force’s confidence in our
MH-139 team,” said Boeing Vertical Lift Vice President and General Manager David Koopersmith in a prepared statement. “The MH139 exceeds mission requirements, it’s also ideal for VIP transport, and it offers the Air Force up to $1 billion in acquisition and life-cycle cost savings.”
Investing in this program will retain hundreds of jobs at both Boeing and Leonardo. Boeing spokesman Jim Condelles said Tuesday that it was still too soon to talk about increasing employment at either facility.
Boeing’s Ridley plant has approximately 4,600 employees.
This week’s announcement follows another big contract that will benefit the local Boeing community.
In July a $4.2 billion, fiveyear contract was awarded to the defense contractor to build 58 tilt-rotor V-22 Osprey aircrafts at the Ridley plant. Additionally, $100 million was announced for additional factory space at the plant to construct Osprey vehicles and retrofit older models.