Boeing Secures $52M Contract to Support F/A-18 E/F Aircraft

The Boeing Company BA recently clinched a deal for the procurement of 175 SUU-79 pylons to aid the F/A-18 E/F aircraft. The award has been provided by the Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Philadelphia, PA.The deal, valued at $51.6 million, is slated to be completed by February 2029. The work related to this deal will be carried out in Mesa, AZ, and St. Louis, MO.SUU Pylons and Their Advantages SUU pylons are suspension and utility units installed on military aircraft to securely connect external storage such as bombs, missiles, fuel tanks and other equipment. SUU pylons enable the F/A-18 E/F aircraft to carry a variety of armaments or external storage, allowing it to perform many tasks, such as air-to-air combat and air-to-ground operations. It also increases the aircraft’s payload capacity and adaptability to different kinds of missions.What’s Favoring BA Stock? Rising military conflicts, terrorism and border disputes, along with rapid technological advancements in combat jets, have led nations to increase their defense spending on combat-proven jets, which constitute an integral part of their defense structure.This is likely to have prompted the Mordor Intelligence firm to forecast a compound annual growth rate of 4.7% for the military aviation market during the 2025-2030 period. These projections indicate significant growth opportunities for leading combat jet manufacturers like Boeing.The F/A-18 Block III Super Hornet is the most advanced, cost-effective and readily accessible combat aircraft in the U.S. Navy fleet. The battle-tested Super Hornet outperforms present and future threats with its state-of-the-art, next-generation multi-role strike fighter capability. It can also perform almost any tactical mission, such as air superiority, day and night strikes with precision-guided weapons, fighter escort and close air support.The company’s military jet portfolio also includes other combat-proven aircraft, such as the F-15EX, P-8, T-7A Red Hawk, EA-18G Growler, CH-47 Chinook, Chinook Block II and a few more.Opportunities for Other Aerospace Defense Companies Other aerospace defense companies that are likely to reap the benefits of the military aviation market are listed below:Northrop Grumman Corp. NOC: It is a leading provider of manned and unmanned air systems. It builds some of the world’s most advanced aircraft like the E-2C Hawkeye 2000, A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-5 Tiger Fighter Jet and many more.Northrop has a long-term (three to five years) earnings growth rate of 19%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NOC’s 2025 sales calls for an improvement of 3.3% from the 2024 reported figure.Lockheed Martin Corp. LMT: The company is among the leaders in the combat aircraft space, with its product portfolio constituting some of the most advanced military aircraft, such as the F-35 Lightning II, F-21, F-22 Raptor, F-16 Fighting Falcon and a few more.Lockheed boasts a long-term earnings growth rate of 7.8%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for LMT’s 2025 sales suggests an improvement of 4.5% from the 2024 reported figure.Embraer S.A. ERJ: The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of the most advanced aircraft in the combat market, which includes the A-29 Super Tucano, P600 AEW&C and the C-390 Millennium military multi-mission aircraft.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ERJ’s 2025 sales indicates growth of 17.8% from the 2024 estimated number. The company delivered an average earnings surprise of 127.28% in the last four quarters.BA Stock Price Movement In the past month, Boeing shares have risen 5.4% compared with the industry’s growth of 4.9%.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchBA’s Zacks Rank Boeing currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 DaysJust released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops."Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +24.3% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention. See them now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report The Boeing Company (BA): Free Stock Analysis Report Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT): Free Stock Analysis Report Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC): Free Stock Analysis Report Embraer-Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica (ERJ): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks