MASCOUTAH, Ill. (KMOX) - St. Louis-based Boeing will announce later today that it will build the U.S. Navy's latest unmanned aircraft – the MQ-25 Stingray – at MidAmeica Airport in Mascoutah.
According to a press release provided to the Associated Press, the company will invest $200 million in the project which could add more than 150 jobs to the 70 that are already there. In a prepared statement, Illinois Gov. J.B. Prtizker says the state has set aside $57 million for improvements at MidAmerica. Nearly half of that will bolster the Boeing project.
Production of the aircraft would start by mid-2024 after construction on the MidAmerica facility is expected to start this year and be completed in early 2024.
Boeing is also receiving breaks on its state income tax liability in exchange for the $200 million investment over 15 years.
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According to Boeing, the MQ-25 Stingray, developed from a 2018 contract with the Navy, is a refueling aircraft that greatly extends the combat range of existing refueling aircraft and is designed for “seamless integration” on the flight decks of Navy carrier ships.
“The team and state-of-the-art technology we’re bringing to the Navy’s MQ-25 program is unprecedented and we’re incredibly proud to be expanding both as we build the future of autonomous systems in Illinois,” said Kristin Robertson, vice president and general manager of Autonomous Systems, Boeing Defense, Space & Security. “We’ve received great support from MidAmerica Airport and countless dedicated employees.”
The official announcement is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday.
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