Boeing-Mcdonnell Agree On Fighter

The Boeing Co. and McDonnell Douglas Corp. have agreed to collaborate on the joint strike fighter project, regardless of whether a merger between the two aerospace giants goes through.

The memorandum of agreement signed Jan. 20 initially affects about 50 McDonnell Douglas engineers and managers.

On Nov. 16, Boeing and Lockheed Martin were chosen to compete for a $219 billion Defense Department fighter contract that is likely to determine the U.S. leader in military contracting well into the next century. Boeing was awarded a $663 million contract for a fouryear program that includes construction of two models.

The failure of McDonnell Douglas to make the runoff was widely viewed as a key factor in the company’s decision to be merged into Boeing, a deal announced in December and expected to be concluded by mid-year.