Boeing picks St. Louis for military training jet assembly

Boeing Co. announced Monday it will assemble an Air Force training jet in St. Louis if wins the $16 billion contract.

Assembly of the T-X jet in St. Louis will support about 1,800 jobs in the region, Chicago-based Boeing said.

“Our highly skilled St. Louis workforce designed, assembled and brought Boeing T-X to life, and they continue to define the future, not just for our company, but for our customers and the global aerospace industry,” Shelley Lavender, president of Boeing Military Aircraft, said in a news release.

The initial proposal is for 350 aircraft and ground-based training and support. The contract is expected to be awarded by the end of the year.