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BOEING TO CLOSE A.V. PLANT; COMPANY ANTICIPATES SHIFTING WORKERS TO OTHER DEFENSE PROJECTS.


Byline: Jim Skeen Daily News Staff Writer

In a companywide streamlining prompted by its acquisition of McDonnell Douglas McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturer and defense contractor, producing a number of famous commercial and military aircraft. It merged with Boeing in 1997 to form The Boeing Company.  and of Rockwell's defense and space work, Boeing will close one of its two plants in Palmdale.

But Boeing officials said they do not know how many workers may lose their jobs because other upcoming projects - particularly the Joint Strike Fighter A strike fighter is a fighter aircraft which is also capable of attacking surface targets, including ships. It differs from an attack aircraft in that the aircraft remains a capable fighter.  prototypes - are expanding their work forces.

Boeing will close Site 9, its B-1B bomber plant located on Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850.  property at Avenue P and 30th Street East, and consolidate work from there at neighboring Air Force Plant 42's Site 1.

``In terms of the effect of the Palmdale consolidation on head count, the recent announcement to place Joint Strike Fighter assembly work in Palmdale comes at a very opportune time,'' Les Lackman, Palmdale site manager, wrote in a letter to workers. ``It is our intention to achieve a smooth transition as B-1B PDM (1) (Product Data Management) An information system used to manage the data for a product as it passes from engineering to manufacturing. The data includes plans, geometric models, CAD drawings, images, NC programs as well as all related project data, notes and  (periodic depot maintenance That maintenance performed on materiel requiring major overhaul or a complete rebuild of parts, assemblies, subassemblies, and end-items, including the manufacture of parts, modifications, testing, and reclamation as required. ) winds down and our staffing needs on JSF (JavaServerFaces) A standard framework of components for building rich user interfaces for Java applications. JavaServer Faces run on the server, but are displayed on the client.

JSF - JavaServer Faces
 begin to build. These actions should minimize the impact on our Palmdale work force.''

Site 1, the assembly site for the nation's space shuttle space shuttle, reusable U.S. space vehicle. Developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), it consists of a winged orbiter, two solid-rocket boosters, and an external tank.  fleet, will be turned into Boeing's assembly, integration and test center for space shuttle modifications, Joint Strike Fighter prototypes and future experimental aircraft.

Of the approximately 450 workers at Site 9, 90 jobs are slated to be lost when maintenance work on B-1B bombers is shifted to Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma in 1999. Part of Site 9 is leased by Lockheed Martin For the former company, see .

Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is a leading multinational aerospace manufacturer and advanced technology company formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta.
 as an assembly facility for its X-33 spacecraft prototype.

The Palmdale consolidation is expected to be completed next year, Boeing said.

At the same time, employment on the Joint Strike Fighter prototypes will expand to about 200 workers, providing an opportunity to find positions for the displaced B-1B workers.

Assembly work on the Joint Strike Fighter in Palmdale will include the integration and checkout of the fuselage, and mating of the fuselage, wing and tail assemblies. Initial flight testing will also be conducted out of Plant 42.

The aircraft will later go to Edwards Air Force Base Edwards Air Force Base, U.S. military installation, 301,000 acres (121,805 hectares), S Calif., NE of Lancaster; est. 1933. It is one of the largest air force bases in the United States and has the world's longest runway.  for further flight tests.

Boeing is competing with Lockheed Martin for a contract to build up to 3,000 JSF aircraft for the U.S. armed services The Constitution authorizes Congress to raise, support, and regulate armed services for the national defense. The President of the United States is commander in chief of all the branches of the services and has ultimate control over most military matters.  and for the British Royal Navy.

Site 9 is where Boeing built 100 B-1B bombers during the 1980s. At one point more than 7,000 workers were employed at the site. In the 1990s, the site has been used for maintenance and upgrades on the B-1B.

The Palmdale consolidation is part of corporate-wide restructuring plan announced Friday that will result in the loss of 8,200 jobs nationwide for the 238,000-employee aerospace behemoth behemoth (bē`hĭmŏth, bĭhē`–) [Heb.,=plural of beast], large, fanciful primeval monster, like Leviathan, evoking the hippopotamus mentioned in the Book of Job. .

Of that total, 6,200 jobs will be lost in California, primarily as the result of decisions to stop producing the MD-80 and MD-90 jetliners in Long Beach.

The consolidation will not affect Boeing's Site 1 space shuttle operations, officials said. Boeing employs about 750 workers there.

``Our Palmdale site is not impacted by the announcement,'' said Alan Buis, spokesman for Boeing's Reusable Space Systems division. ``We are actively working to expand our work force.''

Further to the south, Boeing's corporate-wide consolidation will have no impact on Boeing's Rocketdyne employment in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley

Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills.
. Rocketdyne employs about 5,000 people at the Canoga, DeSoto, Westlake Village, and Santa Susanna Santa Susanna is a church on the Quirinal in Rome, with a titulus at its site that dates back to about 280. The modern church, rebuilt in 1585–1603, is the seat of the American Catholic Church in Rome.  sites, spokeswoman Laura Circle said.

PROPOSED BOEING CHANGES

Here is a breakdown of planned changes in Boeing Co. organization and employment, as announced by the company Friday:

DOMESTIC

Alabama

Assembly for International Space Station support in Huntsville and Delta rocket The Delta family of rockets is used in an expendable launch system that has provided space launch capability for the United States since 1960. Delta has a history of over 300 launches, with a 95% success rate.  boosters in Decatur. Terminate leases and move into company-owned facilities. Construction of a Delta plant in Decatur could add as many as 1,200 jobs by 1999 and an additional 800 after that. The employment increase is a result of previously announced new business and is not related to Friday's announcement.

Employment impact: No significant change as a result of this announcement.

Arizona

Assemble AH-64 Apache Longbow longbow

Leading missile weapon of the English from the 14th century into the 16th century. Probably of Welsh origin, it was usually 6 ft (2 m) tall and shot arrows more than a yard long.
 helicopter in Mesa. Establish a manufacturing center at Mesa to produce electrical assemblies for the entire company. Transfer tooling, machining and composites manufacturing to other manufacturing centers.

Employment impact: Reduction of approximately 300 jobs by 2000.

Arkansas

As previously announced, phase out MD-80 and MD-90 component manufacturing at Melbourne. Company is studying the long-term future of the plant, including whether to transfer additional commercial airplane work to Melbourne.

Employment impact: Not determined at this time.

California

Establish assembly center in Long Beach focused on 717 jetliner. Program management for the airplane will be transferred to Seattle after the 717 earns FAA certification. Phase out production of MD-80 and MD-90 jetliners as previously announced. MD-11 jetliner production remains in Long Beach, but its future depends on how many more planes can be sold. Boeing expects to have a clearer picture of that later this year.

Establish program management centers for the C-17 military cargo jet in Long Beach; rocket engines, space power systems and lasers in Canoga Park-DeSoto; satellites in Seal Beach Seal Beach, city (1990 pop. 25,098), Orange co., S Calif., on the Pacific coast; inc. 1915. It is a beach city with an active art colony. Transportation equipment and concrete are among the city's manufactures. U.S. naval stations are nearby. ; Reusable Space Systems at Downey; expendable launch vehicles This is a list of space launch vehicles sorted by country/operator in alphabetical order, commercial vehicles are listed under their corresponding country.
  • See also: List of missiles
Americas
Brazil
  • Sounding rockets [1]
 and integrated defense systems Integrated Defense Systems may refer to:
  • Boeing Integrated Defense Systems
  • Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems
 in Huntington Beach Huntington Beach, city (1990 pop. 181,519), Orange co., S Calif., on the Pacific coast, across from Santa Catalina Island, in an oil-producing area; inc. 1909. It manufactures aerospace vehicles, aircraft parts, optical instruments, and heat transfer equipment. ; ICBMs, information management, missile defense Missile defence is an air defence system, weapon program, or technology involved in the detection, tracking, interception and destruction of attacking missiles. Originally conceived as a defence against nuclear-armed ICBMs, its application has broadened to include shorter-ranged  and navigation, sensors and electronics in Anaheim.

Assembly of International Space Station support at Huntington Beach and Canoga Park, and for Sea Launch at Long Beach. Relocate 1,000 Aircraft & Missile Systems employees from Seal Beach to Long Beach. Transfer 1,100 Reusable Space Systems support and satellites personnel to Seal Beach from Downey, and close selected facilities in Downey.

Close electronic manufacturing facility in Monrovia, transferring avionics activities to El Paso, Texas, and surveillance and targeting activities to another Southern California plant. Close modification center at Palmdale while establishing assembly center at Palmdale for space shuttle modification, Joint Strike Fighter concept demonstration vehicle, prototype vehicle assembly and test, and X-vehicles. Transfer selected tooling, machining and composites to strategic manufacturing centers. Terminate leases and move into company-owned facilities, and close several labs.

Employment impact: Reduction of approximately 6,200 jobs by 2000.

Colorado

Assembly center for Delta launch vehicles.

Employment impact: No significant change.

Florida

Assembly center for International Space Station support at Kennedy Space Center Kennedy Space Center (Cape Canaveral) U.S.

launch site for manned space missions. [U.S. Hist.: WB, So:562]

See : Astronautics
. Transfer Cocoa Beach space-related business to Titusville.

Employment impact: No significant change.

Georgia

Continue Hellfire hell·fire  
n.
The fire of hell, considered as punishment for sinners.


hellfire
Noun

the torment of hell, imagined as eternal fire

Noun 1.
 missiles, seeker-sensors and other work at Duluth. Continue C-17 subassembly sub·as·sem·bly  
n. pl. sub·as·sem·blies
An assembled unit forming a component to be incorporated into a larger assembly.


 at Macon.

Employment impact: No significant change.

Illinois

Establish manufacturing center for precision gear fabrication fabrication (fab´rikā´shn),
n the construction or making of a restoration.
 and assembly. Transfer gear assembly work from Philadelphia and Puget Sound area to Chicago.

Employment impact: Increase of approximately 50 jobs by 2000.

Kansas

Continue current commercial and military airplane work in Wichita, including production of commercial airplane nose sections, 737 fuselages, commercial engine struts and nacelles.

Employment impact: No significant change.

Mississippi

Establish assembly center for RS-68 rocket engines. As previously announced, approximately 100 jobs will be supported by this center.

Employment impact: No significant change as a result of this announcement.

Missouri

Continue assembly of F/A-18, F-15, T-45 and AV-8B tactical aircraft. Continue assembly of various missile systems. Establish program management centers for small military aircraft in St. Louis and for tactical missiles in St. Charles. Establish manufacturing centers for composites, complex machining, tooling and other work in St. Louis.

Employment impact: Reduction of approximately 300 jobs by 2000.

Oklahoma

Continue manufacturing commercial, defense and space components in Tulsa. C-17 modification work transfers from Tulsa to San Antonio, Texas “San Antonio” redirects here. For other uses, see San Antonio (disambiguation).
San Antonio is the second most populous city in Texas, the third most populous metropolitan area in Texas, and is the seventh most populous city in the United States. As of the 2006 U.S.
. Continue B-1 and other aircraft logistics support in Oklahoma City.

Employment impact: Reduction of approximately 200 jobs by 2000.

Pennsylvania

Establish a program management center in Philadelphia for all military helicopters. Continue production of CH-47 Chinook Chinook, indigenous people of North America
Chinook (shĭnk`, chĭ–), Native American tribe of the Penutian linguistic stock.
, V-22 Osprey and RAH-66 Comanche, and BB-609 subcontractor work. Transfer some composites, tooling and machining to manufacturing centers. Transfer gear assembly work to Chicago. Transfer commercial airplane work from Philadelphia to Boeing Commercial Airplane Group.

Employment impact: Reduction of approximately 900 jobs by 2000.

Tennessee

Continue producing commercial airplane components. Military work transferred to other manufacturing centers.

Employment impact: Reduction of approximately 50 jobs by 2000.

Texas

Corinth facility becomes a manufacturing center for electrical products for the entire company. Establish manufacturing centers at El Paso and Irving to produce electronics assemblies for the entire company. Aircraft modification work for C-17 transferred from Oklahoma to San Antonio. Facility will support about 1,600 jobs. Establish program management center for the International Space Station in Houston.

Employment impact: Increase of approximately 500 jobs by 2000.

Utah

As previously announced, phase out production of MD-80 and MD-90 fuselage sections. Transfer additional commercial airplane work to Salt Lake City plant.

Employment impact: No significant change.

Washington

Continue final assembly of 737, 747, 757, 767 and 777 jetliners and the 767 AWACS AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System)

Mobile, long-range radar surveillance-and-control centre for air defense. Used by the U.S. Air Force since 1977, AWACS is mounted in a specially modified Boeing 707 aircraft, with its main radar antenna affixed to a rotating dome.
 in Seattle area. Program management centers for 747-767 and 777 exist in Everett, and 737-757 in Renton. Following certification of the 717, transfer program management to Puget Sound while final assembly remains in California. Manufacturing centers exist for commercial composites at Frederickson; commercial machining, sheet metal and subassemblies in Auburn; and commercial floor panels and ducts in Spokane. Close selected manufacturing buildings at Seattle's Plant II.

Establish Information, Space & Defense Systems program management centers for surveillance, reconnaissance and mission systems installation and checkout at the Developmental Center in Seattle; and Sea Launch and Communications, both in Seattle. Establish Assembly, Integration and test center for F-22 and continue Joint Strike Fighter define and development program in Seattle. Establish manufacturing center in Seattle for large complex composites and medium complex machining. Transfer tooling, medium composites and large machining to new manufacturing centers. Close Tulalip test site and several labs.

Employment impact: No significant change.

---Associated Press

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BOX: PROPOSED BOEING CHANGES (see text)
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Publication:Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)
Date:Mar 21, 1998
Words:1602
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