(NewsWorthy.news) – The US Department of Defense has awarded aerospace manufacturer Boeing Co. with a $212 million contract to repair fighter jets, the agency announced on June 18. The Missouri-based manufacturer will repair multiple flight control surface configurations on 11 Navy EA-18G Growlers and F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets under the new contract.
Though some work will be carried out in St Louis, Missouri, most of the repairs will be handled in Jacksonville, Florida. The repairs are estimated to be finished by the end of 2028. The contract follows ongoing scrutiny of the company regarding numerous safety issues.
Republican Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley has criticized the company for “cutting corners” and ignoring safety concerns. He noted the company benefited from thousands of tax dollars each year, and announced a probe into the company following several incidents. In one case in January, a Boeing 737 Max lost its door panel at an altitude of 16,000 feet.
In January 2024 Gerry Laderman, the Executive Vice President of United Airlines, blamed the safety issues on COVID-19, suggesting that staff layoffs during lockdowns resulted in insufficiently trained staff working on the manufacturer’s planes.
In June a new whistleblower alleged that the company hid the unsafe parts on its 737 Max planes from regulators. One whistleblower said they were “scared” in May 2024 after the sudden deaths of two other whistleblowers highlighting numerous safety concerns in the production of the company’s aircraft. Josh Dean, 45, who had no prior health conditions, reportedly died of a sudden and “fast-spreading” infection. John Barnett, 62, died of an alleged suicide hours before a scheduled deposition regarding a Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s safety issues.
Boeing’s defense contracts are also controversial; pressure has been mounting from progressives calling on the White House and universities to divest from Israel following its assault on Gaza. Boeing has a longstanding link with Tel Aviv, and protesters at university campuses across the US have been demanding the institutions cease accepting Boeing’s money.
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