But there is some realism in what you’re talking about. And most of those came from our efforts with our JV with Tata. So for instance, with the Army, we actually did slow down the pace of Apache final assembly due to some supply chain impacts resulting from COVID. What’s been the impact of pauses at your defense production lines in Puget Sound, Washington, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania? Will Boeing be able to deliver all of the military aircraft that was the books for 2020? Anywhere where we can do advances and allow our supply base to do advanced delivery, we’re doing that as well. We now do them with videos and cameras so that we don’t slow the supply base down. We have teams go out and inspect parts and do different things like that. A great example of that is how we’re doing virtual inspections now. We also adjust how we do business so it makes it more efficient. On one level, it’s making certain that we help them get what they need. We’ve actually hosted events with the Small Business Administration for our supply base. One big focus for us has been making sure we’ve been aggressive in making certain that they have cash flow, they have liquidity. But we’re aligned with the Air Force, and our road map is sound.” “What I want you to know from me is I want every KC-46 delivered to be perfect. A deal on a fix for the latter problem was agreed to in April after more than a year of negotiations. Most prominently, the KC-46 has been hampered by a list of technical issues, including foreign object debris found in the jets and a dispute with the Air Force over the camera system that allows the boom operator to refuel other aircraft. “I mean, how many people a few years ago would have placed a bet that we’d be building new F-15s? I say, few to none,” she said.īut amid this progress, the company has met stumbling blocks. New orders for a block upgrade of the Super Hornet aircraft resuscitated that production line, and in July the company got its first order for the Air Force’s F-15EX jet. Under Caret’s leadership, Boeing has logged a number of major wins, including contracts for the T-7A trainer jet and the Grey Wolf helicopter for the Air Force, as well as the Navy’s MQ-25 drone. And while our progress may be viewed through a different lens for a period of time, the expectations of how we do our job and what we deliver haven’t really changed.” We need to perform consistently, and we need to perform well. “And I wanted to just anticipate the question and share that, you know, as I see it, the company’s expectations of our business are the same as always. “One of the questions that I get a lot is, how has that changed the expectations for me and for our defense and space business?” Caret told Defense News. With COVID-19 devastating the travel industry and eradicating near-term sales opportunities for commercial airliners, Boeing’s defense sector finds itself as the company’s model pupil. Questions about Boeing’s future as a producer of fighter jets - and the prominence of its defense business - lingered as the end of the F-15 and F/A-18 production lines loomed in the near future. Caret stepped into the top Boeing defense job in 2016, after the American company lost a lucrative contract for the U.S.
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