Boeing Awarded $750M B-52 Engineering Sustainment Contract

(Wichita, Kan., June 30, 2009) -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] today announced that it has received a $750 million, 10-year contract from the U.S. Air Force to provide engineering support for the B-52 bomber. Under the Engineering Sustainment Program (ESP) contract, Boeing employees in Wichita, Oklahoma City, and Shreveport, La., will perform engineering assignments that maintain the B-52 as a ready, reliable and viable asset to the Air Force.

"The ESP contract will allow Boeing to continue supporting our customer by sustaining, modernizing and upgrading the B-52 to meet the warfighter's needs both today and in the future," said Mike Houk, B-52 Fleet Support Program manager for Boeing. "Boeing employees understand the B-52 as well as anyone in the world, and we look forward to continuing to modernize this fleet of vital aircraft."

The ESP contract replaces Boeing's current B-52 fleet support contract and sustains approximately 150 jobs at Boeing facilities in Wichita and Oklahoma City, and at Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport. Boeing engineers will support software, communications, avionics and electrical upgrades; structural analysis; rewiring; and other tasks as directed by the Air Force.

"This contract also allows us to provide 24/7 in-flight emergency support to aircrews around the world -- the pilots can contact Boeing engineers from the cockpit to troubleshoot and solve problems real-time," said Houk.

All B-52s in the U.S. inventory were built at and delivered from the Boeing facility in Wichita.

Source : The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) - click here for more information