AEROSPACE PLANT EMPLOYMENT UP.

Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer

PALMDALE - Employment at Air Force Plant 42 rose by 239 workers over last year, reversing a trend of job losses.

There were 6,561 employed at the installation compared with 6,322 in 2002, with projects like the joint strike fighter expected to add more jobs in coming months.

``It reflects an investment not only in defense, but in other programs, including space,'' said Lt. Col. Ronald Ortiz, the installation's commander.

The annual payroll was $435 million, up from $337.2 million in 2002, according to statistics provided by the installation.

The largest employer counted in the job statistics is Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. in Palmdale, which employs 4,200 workers. That number is up roughly 100 workers from last year.

Lockheed Martin is expecting slight to moderate job growth over the year, depending on what happens with a number of contracts the company is vying for, said company spokeswoman Dianne Knippel.

Among the projects the company is vying for is the multi-mission maritime aircraft, which would replace the Navy's aging fleet of P-3 Orion antisubmarine aircraft.

Lockheed Martin has proposed building a modern version of the P-3 for that program and would assemble the first three aircraft in Palmdale if the company is awarded the contract.

The program would add dozens of workers to the company's Palmdale operation.

Northrop Grumman has about 1,185 workers at Plant 42, where the company assembles unmanned aircraft like the Global Hawk and will do major work for the F-35 joint strike fighter.

``By the end of the year we'll be at about 1,500,'' said company spokesman Jim Hart. ``That's being driven by the F-35 joint strike fighter, the joint unmanned combat air systems, and Global Hawk.''

Northrop Grumman will be assembling the center fuselage sections for the F-35 in Palmdale. The center fuselages then go to Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth plant for assembly of the aircraft.

Northrop Grumman will also assemble demonstrator aircraft in Palmdale for the joint unmanned combat air systems, an effort at developing unmanned fighters for the Air Force and Navy.

Northrop Grumman produces the Global Hawk for the Air Force at Palmdale and expects other customers will want variants of the aircraft.

The work force at Boeing, which employs about 1,000 people in the Antelope Valley, is expected to remain relatively stable throughout the year, company spokesman Ed Memi said.

Employment at Plant 42 stood at 7,375 workers in 2000, just before the region's aerospace industry took a hit in the form of the collapse of SR Technics America, a civilian aircraft modification company.

SR Technics America had expanded its work force to about 600 employees, but then quickly hit hard times through a combination of financial woes of its major backer and the airline downturn after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Jim Skeen, [phone]

james.skeen(at)dailynews.com

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Northrop Grumman assembles unmanned aircraft like the Global Hawk at Air Force Plant 42.

Northrop Grumman