Northrop Will Add 500 Jobs for F-18 Work : Aerospace: But more than half the positions will be filled by existing employees who otherwise would be idled.

In a rare respite from the massive layoffs buffeting the aerospace industry, Northrop said Wednesday that it will create 500 new jobs by year-end on a new derivative of the Navy F-18 jet fighter program.

But more than half of the jobs will be filled by existing company workers who otherwise would be laid off, said Northrop spokesman Tony Cantafio.

The announcement came after the Navy this week issued a $3.96-billion development contract for the E and F versions of the F-18 to McDonnell Douglas, which is the prime contractor on the program. Northrop builds the aft section of the jet in El Segundo, employing 3,100 workers.

Northrop Chairman Kent Kresa previously said that if the Navy carried through with its plans to develop a new F-18 model, it would ultimately create 2,000 additional jobs at the firm’s El Segundo and Hawthorne facilities.

The entire program still faces a battle in Congress. Critics have attacked the development program as providing little additional capability for the nearly $4-billion cost, which is about the same price as the original Navy A-12 attack jet program. The new F-18 would have longer range, more power and an expanded weapons platform.

The House Armed Services Committee cut funding for the development program, but an Appropriations subcommittee voted to provide full funding. The Senate Armed Services Committee is considering the matter this week.

So far, the Navy has released just $97 million in initial funding, Cantafio said.

About 37% of the development work on the new F-18, a combination air defense and ground attack fighter, will be done by Northrop.

The fighter has been in production for about 15 years. So far, 1,142 aircraft have been delivered.