Arkansas Takes Flight at the 2024 Farnborough International Airshow
July 22, 2024In Arkansas, the aerospace and defense industry is taking flight and achieving lift-off.
Throughout the state, aerospace and defense companies are providing services and manufacturing critical products and components that help keep us flying and keep us safe. There are more than 170 aerospace and defense aerospace and defense firms operating across Arkansas, employing approximately 10,900 workers.
Aerospace and defense companies are taking notice of the advantages that Arkansas has to offer.
Arkansas has received significant investments from the aerospace and defense industry in the past year. Following the 2023 Paris Air Show, we had announcements with RTX and Rafael Air Defense Systems and with Dassault Falcon Jet.
RTX and Rafael Air Defense Systems announced a new joint partnership, R2S, that is building a $63 million manufacturing facility in East Camden. This facility will produce the Tamir missile for the Iron Dome Weapon System and the SkyHunter® missile variant for the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. allies.
In December 2023, Dassault Falcon Jet announced that it would be expanding its Little Rock operations – its largest facility in the world. The company is investing $100 million in Arkansas and creating 800 new jobs.
Also, Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith was selected by the Department of the Air Force as the location for a new Foreign Military Sales Program Pilot Training Center. This center will provide F-16 and F-35 training for Foreign Military Sales Program participants, and it will be the new home for the Republic of Singapore’s 425th Fighter Squadron. This mission will bring approximately 900 military members and their families to the greater Fort Smith region.
There is a great deal of momentum in our state’s aerospace and defense industry, and we aim to keep this trend going. As part of that effort, AEDC team members will be attending the Farnborough International Air Show this year.
As part of Team Arkansas, we plan to promote the State of Arkansas as a great place for companies – especially aerospace and defense companies – to do business. Team Arkansas is a delegation, led by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, of Arkansas companies and organizations that are traveling to Farnborough. These organizations include the Arkansas Aerospace and Defense Alliance, Aviation Repair Technology, Blue Gold, Clinton National Airport, Galley Support Innovations, Highland Industrial Park, Little Rock Regional Chamber, ORC Products, Taber Extrusions, and World Trade Center Arkansas, as well as the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.
Our team will be taking meetings with aerospace and defense firms while we are at the Farnborough Airshow, advocating for Arkansas as the best state for companies to do business. We have a great track record of success from past airshows, and we look forward to continuing this success. In the coming months, we plan to have more to share from what comes out of these meetings.
If you are attending the Farnborough Airshow, make sure to drop by the Team Arkansas booth (Booth #3125) to learn more about Arkansas and how our state can help you succeed.
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