President Trump, the 47th president, announced last week that the U.S. Air Force has selected Boeing to build the F-47 fighter jet, a boon for St. Louis area workers and its economy.
The jet, known as Next Generation Air Dominance, replaces the F-22 Raptor with a crewed aircraft capable of entering combat alongside drones.
“We recognize the importance of designing, building and delivering a 6th-generation fighter capability for the United States Air Force,” Steve Parker, interim president and chief executive officer, Boeing Defense, Space & Security, said in a release.
“In preparation for this mission, we made the most significant investment in the history of our defense business, and we are ready to provide the most advanced and innovative NGAD aircraft needed to support the mission.”
The preparation included a successful request from St. Louis County for about $155 million in tax breaks for the project. Boeing guaranteed 500 new high-paying jobs would be created. Last year, Boeing laid off 700 workers.
St. Louis County Executive Sam Page said the decision validated the county’s move to offer the incentives.
“It’s a big payoff,” he told St. Louis Public Radio.
“These jobs will continue for decades: the supply chain for the construction, for the building, the planes, the services that are needed to support the facility.”
Boeing employs more than 16,000 people at locations in north St. Louis County, St. Charles County and St. Clair County in the Metro East.
A release from the St. Louis County Council confirmed that construction of the jet fighter “will take place at Boeing’s expanding facility in north St. Louis County, bolstering the region’s aerospace leadership.”
In conjunction with the $1.8 billion expansion near St. Louis Lambert International Airport, the contract will create 500 direct jobs and more in supporting industries,
The contract will “add to Boeing’s local workforce of nearly 16,000 employees and 34,000 additional jobs across the area.
Rita Days, Council chair, said, “This is a monumental win for North St. Louis County.”
“Boeing’s decision to anchor this program here reflects our skilled workforce and strategic location [The selection] underscores St. Louis County’s vital role in national security and advanced manufacturing.”
The announcement drew praise from other business leaders in the region. Greater St. Louis Inc.’s Chief Business Attraction Officer Maggie Kost called the move a “generational impact” for the region for the next few decades.
“You can never take an employer for granted in your community,” she said.
“Let alone one that depends on these big defense contracts like this. There was a whole coalition of folks at the state, county and local level that wanted to support Boeing in their bid for this.”
Council members also stated it “appreciates Boeing’s commitment to the region, North County in particular, and includes $13 million in charitable annual contributions and support for local initiatives.”
“As construction and production ramp up, St. Louis County is ready to assist Boeing in delivering these advanced fighters.”
Page added, “We need to make big moves to keep our successful large employers here. And we need to be making moves to attract new employers here.”
According to Boeing’s latest Sustainability & Social Impact Report (November 2024) it had increased the number of Black employees at its company by 17% since 2020, making its U.S. workforce 7.5% Black.
It also raised its racial and ethnic minority representation in its U.S. workforce by 37.6% in 2023.
According to a profile of the company at DiversIQ.com, Boeing’s workforce is 24.2% female, and 75.8% male. It is 64.2% White, 7.5% Black/African American, 8.6% Hispanic/Latino, 15.8% Asian, and 4.1% other.
Represented in the S&P 100, there are 12 companies from the Industrials sector. Amongst them, Boeing ranks 10th for Black/African American diversity, 9th for Hispanic/Latino diversity, 1st for Asian diversity, and 1st for “other” diversity.
Boeing’s board is 30.8% female, and 69.2% male, 76.9% White, 15.4% Black/African American, 0% Hispanic/Latino, and 7.7% Asian.
In October 2024, Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that Boeing had dismantled its global diversity, equity and inclusion department.
The report said the staff from Boeing’s DEI office would be combined with another human resources team focused on talent and employee experience.