Boeing Wins $82-Million Navy Contract

Boeing Co. of Seattle said it won a four-year $82-million Navy contract to develop mine-hunting underwater vehicles. Boeing will add 100 jobs to handle the work at an Anaheim plant where it employs 3,500, Boeing spokesman Bill Van Vleet said. Boeing said it beat Northrop Grumman Corp. of Los Angeles for the contract to develop the unmanned vehicles, scheduled to be deployed on certain attack submarines in 2004. The vehicles would be shot from torpedo tubes and search the sea for mines, reporting back via satellite. Boeing acquired expertise in underwater craft when it bought Rockwell’s space and defense business in ’96. Northrop said it was disappointed to lose the contract. The contract news came after the close of trading on Monday. On the NYSE, Boeing closed at $44.19, down 13 cents, and Northrop closed at $53.56, down $1.13.