Boeing, Saab Unveil New Factory for USAF Trainer Aft Section; Leanne Caret Quoted

Swedish company Saab, Boeing‘s (NYSE: BA) teammate in the U.S. Air Force T-7A trainer program, has opened a factory in West Lafayette, Indiana to manufacture the aft section of the military branch’s future pilot training system.

The 100,000-square-foot facility will take over the production of the Red Hawk aircraft’s aft section from the Saab factory in Linkoeping, Sweden, eliminating the need for trans-Atlantic shipments, Boeing said Wednesday.

Saab’s new facility is located approximately 300 miles from a Boeing-operated assembly line in Missouri.

“Our modern T-7A Red Hawk production lines are enabling us to deliver the most digitally advanced, simply and efficiently produced, and intelligently supported solutions to our customers, and we’re honored to team with Saab to make this possible,” said Leanne Caret, president and CEO of Boeing’s defense, space and security business and a 2021 Wash100 Award recipient.

The industry team is using digital manufacturing processes to build the T-7A under a potential $9.2 billion contract awarded in 2018.

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