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Obama Defense budget includes more work for Boeing

The U.S. Department of Defense has included an order of 16 F/A 18 Super Hornets in their budget for the next two years.
The U.S. Department of Defense has included an order of 16 F/A 18 Super Hornets in their budget for the next two years.

The new U.S. Department of Defense budget request could provide breathing room for Boeing production in St. Louis. 

The U.S. Department of Defense has included an order of 16 F/A 18 Super Hornets in their budget for the next two years.
Credit (via Boeing)
The U.S. Department of Defense has included an order of 16 F/A 18 Super Hornets in their budget for the next two years.

The Navy is asking for a total of 16 Super Hornet jet fighters for fiscal years 2017 and 2018. The aircraft are produced in St. Louis.

Aviation analyst Richard Aboulafia said the additional jet orders would be welcome news for Boeing, but the manufacturer still has several long-term problems.

"Legacy programs like the C-17 are going to die in the next few years, unless there's a big breakthrough. Super Hornet looks right now like it's good until the end of the decade, but after that it goes," Aboulafia said. "The F-15, of course, the last Saudi plane is delivered in 2019. That's something also that they have to think about."

Aboulafia also said Boeing remains in competition to land a key F/A 18 contract with Kuwait, which could secure more jobs at the St. Louis manufacturing operation.

"I think at this point their production lines in St. Louis are starting to get hand-to-mouth. So, this cash for Super Hornets, that's certainly very good news," Aboulafia said.

Follow Wayne Pratt on Twitter:@wayneradio

Copyright 2016 St. Louis Public Radio

Wayne Pratt is a veteran journalist who has made stops at radio stations, wire services and websites throughout North America. He comes to St. Louis Public Radio from Indianapolis, where he was assistant managing editor at Inside Indiana Business. Wayne also launched a local news operation at NPR member station WBAA in West Lafayette, Indiana, and spent time as a correspondent for a network of more than 800 stations. His career has included positions in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Toronto, Ontario and Phoenix, Arizona. Wayne grew up near Ottawa, Ontario and moved to the United States in the mid-90s on a dare. Soon after, he met his wife and has been in the U.S. ever since.
Bill Raack