Boeing’s Hazelwood Facility to Build $66 Million in Attack Weaponry for U.S. Air Force

More work is coming to the facility based in the City of Hazelwood.

The U.S. Air Force awarded a large multi-million dollar constract to Boeing to assemble attack muniton tailkits.

Approximately $65.9 million will be direct to the Hazelwood location to assemble 2,701 joint direct attack munition tailkits.

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Last year, the Air Force announced it was looking for new tailkit assemblies for the B-61 nuclear warhead, and at that time Boeing was awarded an overall contract for $178 million.

B61 (Mod 12) will replace obsolete parts and improve its reliability. The new kits will improve the accuracy of the weapon as it is dropped from military aircraft, such as the FA 18 Hornet. The B61 is a U.S. nuclear weapon that was designed in the early 1960s and went into full production in 1968, according to Boeing.  Per the contract, Boeing will work with the departments of Defense and Energy on this program.

The contract will last until March 2015.  According to the government’s National Nuclear Security Administration, the work is part of what’s called the “Life Extension Program” that aims to keep the warhead operational for at least another 20 years.

Boeing Defense, Space & Security, based in Hazelwood, is a $32 billion business with 14,730 local employees.