Ready for the next 50 years

At age 50, most people start thinking about retiring. But retirement won’t be coming anytime soon for the U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress, thanks to the men and women of Boeing’s Logistics Support Systems in Wichita, Kan.

For 50 years, the B-52 fleet has been the primary manned strategic bomber for the United States. The long-range, heavy bomber can fly at high subsonic speeds at altitudes up to 50,000 feet (15,240 meters), and can carry nuclear or precision-guided conventional ordnance with worldwide precision navigation capability.

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A net-centric B-1

The B-1 Lancer bomber has played a major role in recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Boeing is helping ensure it will be able to serve effectively for decades to come, thanks to the recently started Network Centric Upgrades (NCU) program that includes adding new color displays, secure digital radios, a moving map and decision-aiding software.

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Teach your teachers well

Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is working to build the skills of its program managers and provide learning opportunities for the next generation of these key leaders through a new Program Management and Independent Review function.

Howard Chambers, named last September as vice president of IDS Program Management and Independent Review, recently spent a few minutes with Boeing Frontiers to discuss the organization's creation, challenges and benefits.

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We’re saving time. We’re saving money

It’s as if Rene Vargas was saying, “show me the money.” Vargas, the site leader of the Boeing facility in El Paso, Texas, tells his team of nearly 400 people that success at Boeing begins and ends with each employee. “Think and act as if you owned this business,” he said. “If you alone were responsible for the company’s profitability, how would you eliminate waste and increase efficiency?”

In recent years, employee ideas for improvements have saved more than $826,000. They’re projected to save the site, which manufactures a variety of electronic products and components for several Boeing business units, about $2 million by 2007.

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Innovating for security needs

Israel’s Ministry of Defense this summer will accept delivery of the first Boeing coproduced Arrow Weapon System to protect that nation against short- and medium-range ballistic missile threats. The program is considered a model of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems working with the best of industry to build the best products for its customers.

Boeing Missile Defense Systems in 2002 reached an initial agreement with Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) on the joint U.S.-Israeli coproduction of Arrow. Boeing received a contract in March 2004 for production of major assemblies and subsystem components of the Arrow II interceptor as well as the canister assembly that houses the interceptor.

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