In an op-ed published this week in the Trentonian, NJBIA Deputy Chief Government Affairs Officer examines the high-tech powerhouse that safeguards lives, provides thousands of jobs, and helps drive New Jersey’s economy: the aerospace and defense manufacturing sector.
“Nowhere is this vital industry’s footprint more apparent than in the enduring success of the CH-47 Chinook program,” Cantor wrote. “The heavy-lift Chinook helicopter has served as the backbone of military and humanitarian operations for decades.”
While final assembly occurs across the river in Pennsylvania, the program relies on an extensive, intricate supply chain that spans across New Jersey, Cantor said.
Cantor cited data from the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) that shows that the sector supports 22,132 total jobs in New Jersey, with more than 11,600 of those found directly within the small-business supply chain.
“From specialized avionics to precisely engineered components, dozens of sub-contractors and precision machine shops in our state keep this global workhorse in the air,” Cantor wrote. “In fact, we’re home to specialized centers like the Millville Modification Center in South Jersey, which directly modernize aircraft for our soldiers.”
To read the entire op-ed, go here.
