Sen. Eric Schmitt says Boeing’s next-generation fighter, the Air Force’s F-47, is headed for a new home in north St. Louis County. According to the senator, final assembly of the jet will take place at a 1.1 million-square-foot facility now taking shape on Boeing’s expanding St. Louis campus, a project that instantly raises the stakes for local jobs, tax breaks and long-running environmental worries.
Schmitt made the comments during a visit to Boeing facilities, as reported by the St. Louis Business Journal. The plant is part of a multi-phase expansion that is designed to nearly double Boeing’s manufacturing footprint in the region, according to a June 2025 press release from Jacobs. That release describes a 1.1 million-square-foot program scheduled in phases stretching from 2026 through 2030.
What The F-47 Program Means
The F-47 is the Air Force’s sixth-generation Next Generation Air Dominance platform, with Boeing identified as the lead contractor on the effort, according to Breaking Defense. The Air Force chief and trade press have said Boeing has already started early manufacturing work and is targeting a first flight in the late 2020s, a timeline reported as roughly 2028 by Shephard Media.
Local Jobs, Big Incentives
Boeing’s St. Louis buildout is being sold as a substantial economic boost. Regional coverage puts the overall investment at about $1.8 billion, and company materials tout hundreds of new local positions tied to the campus. Alongside the job promises is a roughly $155 million tax abatement request and additional incentives now under review, a package that has drawn praise from business leaders and skepticism from county officials and community advocates, according to St. Louis Public Radio.
Environmental And Community Concerns
Neighborhood groups are quick to point out that shiny new factory renderings come with old baggage along the northern industrial corridor. State records show ongoing sampling and interim cleanup at Boeing’s Hazelwood tract tied to past releases, according to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. In 2025, a hazardous-materials incident that sent nitric acid into nearby storm drains triggered a multi-agency response, as reported by KFVS.
Local activists, along with a coalition opposed to large subsidies for weapons manufacturers, have pointed to that history while pressing for tougher oversight of public incentives and remediation requirements, according to Next City. Their message is essentially that new jets should not come with old pollution.
Schmitt And State Backing
Schmitt has cast the expansion as a major win for Missouri’s industrial base and its place in the defense ecosystem. In remarks posted on his Senate website, he said the F-47 "will be made in Boeing St. Louis" and highlighted funding he backed in the FY2026 defense bill for F-47 development and related programs, presenting the project as part of a larger state and federal effort to keep aerospace manufacturing anchored in the region, according to Sen. Schmitt’s office.
What’s Next For The Site
Design work, environmental review and early site activity for the new complex are already under way. The broader construction and commissioning are set to roll out in stages through the end of the decade, as outlined by Jacobs. How many of the promised jobs actually materialize in north St. Louis County will depend on upcoming county votes on incentives, continued regulatory oversight of cleanup, and the Air Force’s own program schedule.
For now, the F-47 announcement ties a marquee defense program to familiar local questions. Residents, environmental groups and officials are watching permit filings, council agendas and Air Force briefings for clues about two bottom lines that matter in north county: whether the project delivers stable, well-paid work, and whether protections for air, water and surrounding neighborhoods keep pace with the region’s newest warplane factory.
