Navy Orders Two Boeing 737-700 Jets

The Navy has ordered two of the newest Boeing Co. planes to replace aging emergency cargo and troop transport planes, the manufacturer announced Wednesday.

Boeing said the two 737-700s, designed for heavier payloads than the civilian models, would be delivered to the Naval Air Systems Command starting in December 2000. The contract is valued at $111 million, it said.

The planes replace two of the 29 C-9 aircraft used by the Navy for worldwide transport of cargo and personnel on short notice. The C-9 is the military version of the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 commercial jet.