File photo of Delta 2 rocket launching from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Photo: Boeing

Boeing officials announced plans yesterday to consolidate the majority of Delta rocket production into the company's facilities in Pueblo, Colo., and Decatur, Ala.

The plan is a continuation of the Boeing facilities announcement made in March 1998 and will maximize the use of existing Delta facilities, which are currently 80 percent under utilized. Other contributing factors are the downturn in the global launch services market, which reduced Delta production by 50 percent since January 1999, and Boeing transitioning C-17 work out of the Huntington Beach facility.

Over the next two years approximately 600 production jobs will be eliminated in manufacturing, half the reductions associated with C-17 manufacturing and half associated with the Delta realignment. In addition up to 300 positions will be eliminated in associated support functions.

"In order to strategically realign our Delta production, we needed to consolidate operations and reduce manufacturing duplication," said Gale Schluter, Boeing Expendable Launch Systems (ELS) Vice-President and General Manager. "By placing like work together in Decatur and Pueblo, Boeing will become more efficient and competitive in the global, launch-services market."

The transition of work from Huntington Beach and Pueblo will begin in the third quarter of this year. By the second quarter of 2002 Boeing will reduce its owned and leased Huntington Beach facilities by 606,995 square feet.

Delta manufacturing will be allocated as follows:

Delta manufacturing to remain in Huntington Beach:

• Delta 2 stainless steel second-stage tank manufacturing
• Delta 2 hydraulics
• Metal Delta 4 and Titan 4 fairing manufacturing
• Delta 2 and Delta 3 composites
• Electronic modification and rework
• Delta development

Delta manufacturing moving from Huntington Beach to Pueblo:

• Delta 2 payload attach assemblies (PAA)
• Delta 2 blankets and wire harnesses
• Delta 2 and Delta 3 tubing/welded ducts
• Delta 2 and Delta 3 subassembly work

Delta manufacturing moving from Huntington Beach to Decatur:

• Delta 2 and Delta 3 skin machining, processing and forming
• Delta 2 and Delta 3 ring manufacturing
• Delta 2 and Delta 3 center bodies, engine frames, aft skirts, equipment shelves, socketrons and thrustbeams
• Delta 2 first-stage tank assembly
• Delta 4 tubing/welded ducts