Proposal would delay end of Boeing's C-130 program in Okla.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A Boeing Co. spokeswoman said Wednesday that a proposal in the U.S. House Armed Services Committee would at least delay efforts to end a Boeing program in Oklahoma City to upgrade the cockpits of Air Force C-130 transport planes.
The proposal, called a markup, would prohibit ending the C-130 Avionics Modernization Program until 180 days after a cost-benefit analysis that compares the costs of upgrading the C-130 fleet to the cost of keeping the aircraft effective without the upgrade, according to Jennifer Hogan, spokeswoman for The Boeing Co. The proposal was published Tuesday by the House Armed Services Committee.
The full committee is scheduled to meet Thursday to consider all proposed markups to the National Defense Authorization Act.
President Barack Obama's federal budget proposal announced in February called for ending the C-130 program at an estimated savings of $2.3 billion through 2017.
Ending the program put in jeopardy about 230 of an estimated 550 jobs of engineers and support personnel that Boeing was moving from Long Beach, Calif., to its Oklahoma City plant to develop plans for upgrades to the C-130 and to the weapons systems of the Air Force's B-1 bombers.
"We have not had any layoffs in the transition to Oklahoma City. We've been successful in placing them on other programs," such as working on an upgrade to the weapons systems on B-1 bombers, according to Hogan.
Boeing's initial contract called for upgrades to five C-130 aircraft for demonstration and testing. The last of the five is to be delivered later this month from Warner Robbins Air Force Base, Ga., where the upgrades were installed, to Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., where they are tested, Hogan said.
Initial plans called for Boeing to upgrade the entire fleet of 221 C-130s, which are used to transport military personnel and equipment, but the program will be suspended when the final aircraft for testing is delivered.
"As far as any new airplanes being (accepted) for the upgrade, we are on hold," Hogan said. "The bottom line is that the C-130 is production ready."
Hogan said the upgrade consolidates the three existing types C-130's into one configuration, making it simpler to train personnel to operate and maintain the aircraft.
The proposal, called a markup, would prohibit ending the C-130 Avionics Modernization Program until 180 days after a cost-benefit analysis that compares the costs of upgrading the C-130 fleet to the cost of keeping the aircraft effective without the upgrade, according to Jennifer Hogan, spokeswoman for The Boeing Co. The proposal was published Tuesday by the House Armed Services Committee.
The full committee is scheduled to meet Thursday to consider all proposed markups to the National Defense Authorization Act.
President Barack Obama's federal budget proposal announced in February called for ending the C-130 program at an estimated savings of $2.3 billion through 2017.
Ending the program put in jeopardy about 230 of an estimated 550 jobs of engineers and support personnel that Boeing was moving from Long Beach, Calif., to its Oklahoma City plant to develop plans for upgrades to the C-130 and to the weapons systems of the Air Force's B-1 bombers.
"We have not had any layoffs in the transition to Oklahoma City. We've been successful in placing them on other programs," such as working on an upgrade to the weapons systems on B-1 bombers, according to Hogan.
Boeing's initial contract called for upgrades to five C-130 aircraft for demonstration and testing. The last of the five is to be delivered later this month from Warner Robbins Air Force Base, Ga., where the upgrades were installed, to Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., where they are tested, Hogan said.
Initial plans called for Boeing to upgrade the entire fleet of 221 C-130s, which are used to transport military personnel and equipment, but the program will be suspended when the final aircraft for testing is delivered.
"As far as any new airplanes being (accepted) for the upgrade, we are on hold," Hogan said. "The bottom line is that the C-130 is production ready."
Hogan said the upgrade consolidates the three existing types C-130's into one configuration, making it simpler to train personnel to operate and maintain the aircraft.
