The Factory Will Provide Hundreds Of Jobs In Illinois

Boeing reveals they will build the Navy’s newest carrier-based aircraft at a new facility in Illinois. This new aircraft will bring the benefits of digital aircraft design and production to the Navy, while the production is expected to provide up to 300 advanced manufacturing jobs to the greater St. Louis region.

The facility is expected to be completed in 2024, and will provide employment to 150 mechanics, engineers and support staff that will together build the MQ-25TM Stingray, set to be the Navy’s first operational, carrier-based unmanned aircraft.

“The world’s largest aerospace company is doubling down on Illinois because of our unparalleled assets in the transportation and logistics sector and the world-class talent of our people,” said Gov. JB Pritzker.

“To prepare our communities for the future, my administration is committed to making continued investments that will modernize our airports, spark new innovation and bring jobs and economic opportunities to our communities from Chicago to St. Clair and beyond. I want to thank the Boeing Company for their vote of confidence in Illinois, as well as St. Clair County leadership and the MidAmerica Airport team for giving companies another reason to choose Illinois.”

“The team and state-of-the-art technology we’re bringing to the Navy’s MQ-25 program is unprecedented, and we’re incredibly proud to be expanding both as we build the future of autonomous systems in Illinois,” said Kristin Robertson, vice president and general manager of Autonomous Systems, Boeing Defense, Space & Security. “We’ve received great support from MidAmerica Airport and countless dedicated employees, and we’re excited to build the Navy’s first operational, carrier-based unmanned aircraft right here in the Metro East.”

For two years, Boeing and the Navy have been flight testing the Boeing-owned MQ-25 test asset from MidAmerica Airport, where in recent history-making missions T1 has refueled an F/A-18 Super Hornet, an E-2D Hawkeye and an F-35C Lightning II. 

FMI: https://www.boeing.com