Boeing plans for post fighter production

Boeing is planning on an era where they are not producing fighter aircraft anymore. They are looking at ending production of the F-18 in 2017, and the F-15 in 2019. The Pentagon planned on purchasing no EA-18 Growlers next year, and retiring 51 F-15Cs. Starting in October Boeing will try to start capturing more of the UAV, bomber, and trainer market as opposed to the fighter market.

Boeing Co. is planning for an era in which it no longer builds fighter jets, according to a news report.

The world’s largest aerospace company may stop building the F/A-18 in 2017 and the F-15 in 2019 amid a slump in demand for the military aircraft in both the U.S. and abroad, according to an article published Thursday by Doug Cameron and Robert Wall of The Wall Street Journal.

Chris Chadwick, president of Boeing’s defense, space and security unit, in October will begin implementing a business strategy that instead focuses on capturing more of the drone, bomber and trainer market, according to the article. “You have to face reality,” he told the newspaper.

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a reply to: Zaphod58
This change comes as expected, thought it would be a few more years down the road, but it is here. The Revolution in Military Affairs continues into a new phase.

a reply to: Zaphod58

The report may be as advertised (Both the F-18 and F-15 market buyers have kind of dried up) but I can't help think the Boeing company won't just sit back and not try to get into the competition for the next 6th gen fighter program. I wonder if the draw down of the F-18 and the F-15 is to have production room for something else they are gambling on.

a reply to: Sammamishman

it is not inconceivable that the days of true AIRcraft are numbered.

Any of you guys recall how the Wrights got beat out of their own game by being rather slow in the "takeoff" in this business of flying? Boeing, our government and other buildings in the US are not about to allow that to happen with the triangles.

Hm, maybe they're going to get into making TAV's for the Navy/Air force (Trans-Atmospheric Vehicles) for SSTO recon?

There's still enough time for the Air Force to come to it's senses. With the state of the fleet, it sounds like they will need some sort of gap filler between now and whenever they have enoguh F-35s (if that ever happens). Maybe they will buy more F-15s as a result.

a reply to: quatro

They won't completely stop production of fighters, there's still the sixth gen stuff to get, but they won't see production on the scale that it is at today. The F-18 and F-15 are two of the most popular fighters in the world, and they're running out of orders for them. So times are changing, and Boeing sees the need to change with them.