Boeing Unveils Plans for Illinois Factory to Manufacture Cutting-Edge MQ-25 Stingray
Boeing will manufacture the Navy’s latest carrier-based aircraft at a state-of-the-art facility in Illinois, delivering the advantages of digital aircraft engineering and production to the Navy and generating up to 300 sophisticated manufacturing positions in the greater St. Louis area.
The innovative 300,000 square-foot facility at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, expected to be finished by 2024, will initially hire approximately 150 technicians, engineers, and support personnel who will assemble the MQ-25TM StingrayTM, the Navy’s first operational, carrier-based unmanned aerial vehicle. Employment could rise to 300 with supplementary orders.
“The world’s leading aerospace corporation is making a significant commitment to Illinois due to our unmatched resources in the transportation and logistics domain and the exceptional skills of our workforce,” stated Gov. JB Pritzker. “To equip our communities for the future, my administration is dedicated to pursuing ongoing investments that will upgrade our airports, foster new innovations, and create job opportunities and economic growth from Chicago to St. Clair and beyond. I would like to express my gratitude to the Boeing Company for their confidence in Illinois, as well as to St. Clair County leadership and the MidAmerica Airport team for giving companies a compelling reason to select Illinois.”
Boeing digitally designed the entire MQ-25 aircraft and its systems, resulting in high-precision models that drive quality, efficiency, and adaptability throughout the manufacturing and maintenance phases. The new MQ-25 facility will include cutting-edge production methods and tools, including robotic automation and advanced assembly techniques, to enhance product quality and improve employee ergonomics.
“The team and cutting-edge technology we’re introducing to the Navy’s MQ-25 program are unparalleled, and we are extremely proud to be growing as we pioneer the future of autonomous systems in Illinois,” remarked Kristin Robertson, vice president and general manager of Autonomous Systems, Boeing Defense, Space & Security. “We’ve received outstanding support from MidAmerica Airport and numerous committed employees, and we’re thrilled to construct the Navy’s first operational, carrier-based unmanned aerial vehicle right here in the Metro East.”
For two years, Boeing and the Navy have been conducting flight tests on the Boeing-owned MQ-25 test asset from MidAmerica Airport, where historically significant missions T1 have refueled an F/A-18 Super Hornet, an E-2D Hawkeye, and an F-35C Lightning II.
The U.S. Navy aims to procure over 70 MQ-25 aircraft to extend the operational range of the carrier air wing, with most of them being manufactured at the new facility. Boeing is currently constructing the initial seven MQ-25 aircraft, along with two ground test units, at its St. Louis operations, which will subsequently be moved to MidAmerica for flight testing. The MQ-25 program office, along with its primary engineering team, will continue to be located in St. Louis.
The new MQ-25 facility will complement the existing production activities at Boeing St. Clair, which manufactures components for the CH-47 Chinook, F/A-18 Super Hornet, F-15, and other defense platforms.
