Members of the Greek air force look at the Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat on the opening day of the Farnborough International Airshow, July 20, 2026.
Toby Shepheard / AFP via Getty Images
LONDON—Keeping some things local will be key for U.S. weapons makers that want to expand their business in Europe, a top Boeing executive said. That can mean not being a prime on certain contracts, teaming with European defense companies, employing locals, and designing future platforms—like the MQ-28 Ghost Bat—with open architecture that can be tailored to fit international militaries’ needs. “I would say that we've been listening a little bit [differently] for the past couple of years, as there has been some kind of shift in Europe,” Steve Parker, Boeing’s president and CEO for its defense business, told reporters Sunday ahead of the Farnborough International Airshow. For example, as part of an upcoming bid competition, Boeing is pitching its T-7A fighter jet training platform—built with Saab for the U.S. Air Force—to be the Royal Air Force’s next trainer.“We're going to bring what I believe is the world's most advanced training system to the UK, and we'll compete there very differently with a UK focus and a final assembly checkout line here,” Parker said, “We are teamed with BAE Systems, and…they will prime an opportunity for us, and this is all about British jobs.”
