The C-17 Lives On... For Now

Long Beach lives on; at least, the Boeing plant there does. That plant produces C-17 Globemaster IIIs, the backbone of the Air Force transport fleet -- and Wednesday, the Pentagon announced production of that aircraft will continue.

As Aero-News reported, the Pentagon wanted to end the Globemaster line -- unwilling to spend the money to foot the bill for the rest of the 180 C-17s on order. We don't need them, say Air Force officials.

Now, however, the Pentagon has awarded Boeing's McDonnell Douglas unit another $235 million to continue production through the fourth quarter of this year. But Congress appears ready to go even further. On Capitol Hill this week... the House approved another $798 million to fund production of three more Globemasters.

Even so, that probably won't keep the 5,550 workers at Long Beach on the assembly line beyond 2008. And when the plant closes... so will the era of major aircraft production in Southern California.

"The fundamental bottom line is, Congress by itself cannot save this program," said Boeing's director of airlift business development, Dan Page, to the Los Angeles Times. "It's going to take the administration from the White House on down acting to do that."

"What we really need is a long-term commitment," Page added.

Boeing's Long Beach plant is the last of what was once a number of aero-manufacturing facilities in the area.

FMI: www.boeing.com