Will Produce 242 "Enhanced" Wings For A-10s

CPI Aerostructures, Inc. was awarded a long-term requirements contract this week of approximately $70 million to provide various assemblies to Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems unit in support of its recent $2 billion award to produce up to 242 enhanced wings for the A-10 Thunderbolt (or "Warthog") attack jet.

The first ordering period is to run until September 30, 2011, and the contract calls for an additional option period that runs from October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2016. The initial order under this contract is expected to be received by CPI Aero within the next thirty days.

"This is a very exciting day for CPI Aero," said Edward J. Fred, CPI Aero's CEO and President. "We have been named a subcontractor to the premier aerospace and defense company in the world, and we continue to work on a program that we have participated in since 1995. This contract extends the life of a valuable platform that supports our warfighters in accomplishing their mission to defend freedom around the globe. We look forward to this outstanding opportunity to team with The Boeing Company to enable the A-10 fleet to fly at least 20 more years.

"We are also quite excited that as this program reaches higher rates of production, CPI Aero will create 12 to 15 internal aerospace jobs for the Long Island region," Fred added. "Additionally, we will look to provide subcontracting work to Long Island-based companies whenever possible on this program, which will further impact the Long Island job market in a positive way."

Newsday reports Edgewood, NY-based CPI has received a number of contracts this year, including a subcontract deal through Spirit Aerosystems for work on Gulfstream's upcoming G650 bizjet. That deal alone is expected to be worth over three times the company's 2007 sales of $26 million, the paper added.

CPI is one of several subcontractors on the enhanced wing program, for over 700 A-10s.

FMI: www.cpiaero.com, www.boeing.com/ids