Boeing’s Philly Rotorcraft Plant Faces A Difficult Decade As Army, Marines Shift To New Priorities (From Forbes)

The biggest industrial employer in Southeastern Pennsylvania is facing an uncertain future thanks to the Trump Pentagon. The two top rotorcraft programs at Boeing Vertical’s headquarters in suburban Philadelphia are both likely to see declining demand in the near future as the Army and Marine Corps pursue other priorities. In the case of the Marine Corps, its third multiyear contract for the V-22 Osprey, which also produces airframes for other services, will begin winding down after 2023. In the case of the Army, leaders continue resisting an upgrade program for the CH-47 Chinook that was supposed to keep the plant humming through 2040. It isn’t clear what will take the place of the two programs, either at Boeing or at the 473 Pennsylvania suppliers it relies on. I have written a commentary for Forbes here.