Boeing unveils the first of its innovative new defense factories

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Mesa, Ariz. — Boeing’s Defense, Space and Security Business Unit unveiled its new Advanced Composite Manufacturing Center on September 12, 2022, which has been specifically designed to produce advanced composite components for future combat aircraft.

The new facility in Mesa, Arizona will be a secure production facility operated by Phantom Works, the exclusive research, development and prototyping division of BDS. The construction phase of the 155,000 square foot facility is now complete and the center is expected to be fully operational this fall.

“Boeing pioneered a new era of digital aerospace engineering on programs such as the T-7, MQ-25 and MQ-28, and now we are leading the way again by digitally transforming the whole of our production system to build the next generation of advanced combat aircraft,” said Ted Colbert, President and CEO of Defense, Space and Security. of advanced composites and the factories that follow it will enable Boeing to provide military customers with the most digitally advanced aircraft, simply and efficiently produced and intelligently supported.”

Leveraging best practices from recent starter programs such as the MQ-28 Ghost Bat, MQ-25 Stingray, T-7A Red Hawk and proprietary efforts, the ACFC will enable Boeing to scale a platform-independent, modular, and flexible digital production system across future BDS programs, delivering unprecedented speed, agility, and cost-effectiveness. Additional new plants supporting later production phases are under construction in the St. Louis area and are expected to be commissioned over the next few years.

“ACFC capitalizes on the latest advances in digital engineering – from initial concept and design to production ground and sustainment – and its capabilities are directly aligned with our customers’ need to design, build and bring advanced fighter jets into service in a significantly accelerated timeframe,” said Steve Nordlund, vice president and general manager of Boeing Phantom Works. “We are committed to a future where our platforms are more modular and adaptable, our software is more modifiable and scalable, and where our customers have a common experience across all our products, delivering disruptive benefits from the seabed to space. .”

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