Boeing finishes construction, unveils Phantom Works Advanced Composite Fabrication Center

Construction work concluded on Boeing’s new Advanced Works Composite Fabrication Center in Arizona, and with that, the company revealed the 155,000-square-foot facility as the first of several new factories to come under the guidance of its Defense, Space & Security (BDS) business unit.

The new secure production facility will be operated by a BDS division known as Phantom Works. Phantom Works handles research, development, and prototyping for the larger company, and it expects this newest facility to enhance its operations beginning this fall. Work there will focus on advanced composite components for future combat aircraft through a flexible, secure, and scalable production site.

“Boeing pioneered a new era of digital aerospace engineering on programs like the T-7, MQ-25, and MQ-28, and now we’re leading the way again by digitally transforming our entire production system to build the next generation of advanced combat aircraft,” BDS President and CEO Ted Colbert said. “The new Advanced Composite Fabrication Center and the factories that will follow it position Boeing to deliver the most digitally advanced, simply and efficiently produced and intelligently supported aircraft to military customers.”

Boeing believes this would help speed, agility, and cost efficiency of its production. New factories would further support other production phases, which are under construction in the St. Louis region. They should come online over the next few years.

“The ACFC capitalizes on the latest in digital engineering – from initial concept and design to the production floor and sustainment – and its capabilities are aligned directly with our customers’ need to design, build and field advanced combat aircraft on dramatically accelerated timelines,” Steve Nordlund, Boeing Phantom Works vice president and general manager, said. “We are committed to a future where our platforms are more modular and adaptable, our software is more modifiable and scalable, and where our customers have a common experience across all of our products – providing disruptive advantages from seabed to space.”

The ACFC, in particular, will build on best practices the company pursued from new-start programs such as the MQ-28 Ghost Bat, MQ-25 Stingray, T-7A Red Hawk, and proprietary efforts.