Bell Textron, a subsidiary of Wichita-based Textron Aviation, will take over a U.S. Army defense program after the program dropped Spirit Aerosystems as a supplier.
Bell is an aerospace and defense company that engineers and manufactures helicopters. On Wednesday, the company announced its facility in Wichita will keep production of the fuselage assembly for the U.S. Army’s Future Long Range Assault Aircraft, a Bell news release said.
The FLRAA program was initiated by the Army as an effort to deliver the next generation of military helicopters.
Spirit was the key supplier for the program, handling the production of the fuselage assembly. Last month, Bell dropped Spirit and will handle the fuselage assembly, according to FlightGlobal News.
Bell did not say why it dropped Spirit, but reports speculate that the decision comes as Boeing is working to reacquire Spirit in a $8.3 billion deal.
Bell spokesperson Blakeley Thress declined to say how many jobs the Wichita facility could bring, but said it will be “starting the hiring process for the site immediately.”
The site for the FLRAA program will be at an existing facility located at Beech Field on Textron Aviation’s campus in east Wichita. Bell plans to begin operations at the facility within the next several months, the company said.
“As Bell prepares for the next stage of FLRAA’s Engineering and Manufacturing Development phase, we are committed to investing in advanced manufacturing to ensure we deliver exceptional performance at an affordable cost to our customer,” Bell CEO and president Lisa Atherton said.
“Textron has a rich history with the state of Kansas as well as the city of Wichita, and we are proud to deepen that relationship as we establish this new facility.”
Area politicians on the federal level applauded the news.
“Bell Textron’s decision to continue production of the Army’s Future Long Range Assault Aircraft in Kansas marks an historic day for the Air Capital of the World,” said U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas. “This announcement is a testament to the Kansas workforce and the unique combination of academia and industry that Wichita has to offer.
U.S. Rep. Ron Estes, who won reelection to another term Tuesday, said the decision highlights Texron’s commitment to the region.
“This program is critical for the Army’s aviation modernization, and I look forward to expanding Bell’s presence in south-central Kansas,” said Estes, R-Wichita. “We know that our skilled workforce is the best in the world, and this announcement is a testament to the quality of our aviation manufacturers and supply chain.”
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