Boeing is buying a GKN Aerospace plant in Hazelwood, near St. Louis, which supplies key parts for Boeing’s F-15 and F/A-18 fighter jets. According to Boeing, GKN’s F-15 and F/A-18 operations will be transferred directly to Boeing. The company will also retain the majority of GKN’s workforce.
The purchase was preceded by a legal dispute between the two parties. Boeing had sold the plant to GKN in 2001, so in a sense it is a “clawback”. GKN and its parent company, the British company Melrose Industries, had previously planned to close the plant in Hazelwood due to profitability problems. Boeing responded with a lawsuit in December 2022, claiming that GKN was in breach of an agreement to supply parts for the F-15 and F/A-18. According to a Boeing spokesperson, the purchase of the plant ends the legal dispute between GKN and Boeing. The spokesperson went on to say that the Hazelwood plant is a “pure Boeing supplier” that supplies the F-15 and F/A-18, which will continue to be the focus after the acquisition. https://militaeraktuell.at/lockheed-polens-f-35-heissen-husarz/ Had the plant closed, it would have jeopardized Boeing’s fighter aircraft programs, which are also located in St. Louis. The F-15EX in particular – the latest variant of the F-15 fighter aircraft – is an important project for the company’s international business. This is because Israel could potentially buy up to 50 of these aircraft as part of a multi-billion euro deal with the USA. Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet line was also recently extended until 2027 following an agreement with the US Navy. In a brief statement, GKN said: “Last year, the companies began discussions about the potential return of the site to Boeing to avoid the closure of the plant. An agreement has now been reached and the site has returned to Boeing’s ownership. The sale secures the future of the plant for the employees, and we wish everyone in St. Louis all the best for the future.”
This is the second time in recent months that Boeing has bought up an ailing supplier that it previously owned itself. The company recently announced that it would be seeking to acquire the aerostructures manufacturer Spirit Aerosystems.
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