Kaiser lands major defense contract

New warplanes envisioned as a centerpiece of U.S. military operations for at least the next decade will be built with aluminum from Spokane Valley.

Kaiser Aluminum Corp. announced Friday an eight-year contract to supply aluminum for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. The jet fighters are single-seat, one-engine aircraft designed for air-to-air combat, tactical bombing and close air support for troops.

It will be flown for the first time this year and will be used by the Navy, Air Force, Marines and allied countries.

Kaiser declined to disclose the value of the contract. The company is investing $105 million into its Trentwood rolling mill during the next three years to produce high-quality aluminum plate that aircraft companies and automakers machine into specialized parts. The investment will double the plant’s capacity.

The first shipments of aluminum for the Joint Strike Fighter program are penciled for 2009, said Kaiser spokesman Geoff Mordock.

It’s a rewarding deal for Kaiser, which already has major orders for aluminum plate from commercial airplane makers Boeing Co. and Airbus.

The firm is no longer operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Its Trentwood plant has earned a burst of new business that has boosted employee numbers above 800.

Kaiser will sell aluminum for the JSF program to supplier Transtar Metals, which is procuring and selling many of the specialty metals needed for the advanced fighter jets. Other big firms involved include Northrop-Grumman and BAE Systems.