SAN ANTONIO -- The United States Navy is bringing hundreds of fighter jets to San Antonio for major upgrades.
- Navy celebrated $164 million contract with Boeing
- Will work on the F/A 18 Super Hornet fleet
- Could bring 500 jobs to town
On Monday, the Navy celebrated a $164 million contract with Boeing to work on the F/A 18 Super Hornet fleet. Boeing said the deal could bring up to 500 jobs to town, although they won’t all necessarily go to San Antonio residents. The company said it recruits from all of the country.
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) joined members of Boeing and the Navy for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Boeing predicts it will work on 23 Super Hornets in San Antonio, with about 400 to 500 total in the fleet.
Cornyn said this should be seen as a non-partisan deal and reminisced on growing up in San Antonio in a military family.
"I grew up in San Antonio and I still remember when Kelly Air Force Base closed. There was a collective groan. But what we're seeing is the result of Boeing's investment and the Navy's investment here that those jobs are coming back,” he said.
The company did not comment on whether or not the contract is affected by the grounding of Boeing's 737 Max planes after two fatal crashing in the past year. There are 63 grounded 737 Max planes in San Antonio.