PLANT 42'S WORK FORCE DROPS IN 2006; STEADY FUTURE SEEN.Byline: JIM Jim Miss Watson’s runaway slave; Huck’s traveling companion. [Am. Lit.: Huckleberry Finn] See : Escape SKEEN Staff Writer PALMDALE -- Employment at Air Force Plant 42 dropped by more than 400 jobs this year, but work-force levels should be steady in near future, officials said Monday. The installation reported 6,785 jobs in the first half of this year, down 469 workers from 2005 -- wiping out the installation's gain of 449 workers during 2005. The smallest employer is Boeing, which once employed several hundred workers there but has been steadily drawing down its work force as work on the 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. program draws to a close. There are now just under 100 Palmdale workers employed on the shuttle fleet, which is slated to be retired in 2010. Boeing also has about 150 workers in Palmdale who work on air tanker programs. ``Long term, we're in good shape,'' said Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford. ``We have two great tenants in 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. and Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) is an aerospace and defense conglomerate that is the result of the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company is the third largest defense contractor for the U.S. that bring stability to the site.'' The city is working to try to better position the installation to be more attractive for projects. Among the efforts, the city is working to get a power plant built that would provide a steady, affordable power source for the installation's contractors, Ledford said. Although Lockheed Martin Aeronautics-Palmdale operates out of its own facility, Plant 10, its employment numbers are included in the Plant 42 statistics. The company employs about 3,900 workers in Palmdale. Lockheed Martin conducts modification work on the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft and the F-117A stealth stealth Any military technology intended to make vehicles or missiles nearly invisible to enemy radar or other electronic detection. Research in antidetection technology began soon after radar was invented. fighter and builds components for the F-22A and F-35 fighters. ``We should be steady the next couple of years,'' said Lockheed Martin spokeswoman Dianne Knippel. Northrop Grumman employs about 2,000 workers in Palmdale. The company's employment numbers are expected to rise slightly over the next couple of years as work ramps up on the F-35 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. . Northrop Grumman assembles the center fuselage section of the fighters. ``We're basically steady,'' said company spokesman Jim Hart. In addition to the joint strike fighter work, the company conducts modifications to the B-2 stealth bomber and assembles the Global Hawk unmanned reconnaissance aircraft in Palmdale. The F-35 is intended to replace a number of fighter jets and attack aircraft, including the Air Force's A-10s and F-16s, the Navy's F/A-18s, the Marine Corps' AV-8B Harriers and the United Kingdom's Harrier harrier, breed of dog harrier, breed of medium-sized hound whose origin is obscure but whose existence in England dates from the 13th cent. It stands from 19 to 21 in. (48.3–53.3 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 40 to 50 lb (18.1–22. aircraft. The installation, the second-largest center of employment in the Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley after 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. , hit a low of 6,322 in 2003. The numbers had been increasing until this year. james.skeen(at)dailynews (661) 267-5743 CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Dignitaries get a close-up look at the Global Hawk unmanned reconnaissance plane during a rollout ceremony at Plant 42. Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer |
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