Georgia is the 8th-ranked aerospace state in the nation, responsible for over $4 billion in defense contracts, and over $1.1 billion direct wages. Over 83,000 Georgians are employed directly by aerospace manufacturing and services throughout the state, from producing entire advanced aircraft to a myriad of critical subsystems that sustain and support them.
The Warner Robins Air Logistics Center alone employs 19,000 in every critical discipline from avionics, to structures, materials science to system engineering and program management. As a global center of excellence in the maintenance, repair and overhaul of the F-15 fighter and the C-5 and C-17 strategic airlift systems, middle Georgia enjoys a high-tech, high-skill workforce and an amazing quality of life.
Located in Marietta at the Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Lockheed Martin is the state's largest private aerospace employer, with over 8,000 full-time employees that maintain and modernize the C-5 Galaxy, and the C-130J transport. It is also the primary development and production facility for the F-22/Raptor air dominance fighter. In 2005, Lockheed Martin received $553 million in contracts from Warner Robins Air Logistics Center.
Savannah's Gulfstream Aerospace is a global treasure, producing the world's most technologically advanced business jets. Serving a clientele that includes heads of state, charter operations, and corporate aviation departments, Gulfstream's Savannah campus has produced over 1500 aircraft since 1951. Gulfstream employs over 4,300 engineers, aeronautical designers, machinists, welders and assemblers, and is expanding its operations with a new, 600,000 sf facility to upgrade service customer aircraft.
According to data assembled by the Aerospace Industries Association, the approximate breakdown of aerospace employment in Georgia is seen as follows:
| Sector | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Search, detection, and navigation instruments | 721 | 560 | 413 | 401 | 496 | 390 | 334 | 474 |
| Aerospace product and parts manufacturing | 12,379 | 12,317 | 11,685 | 11,040 | 9,901 | 16,369 | 17,427 | 13,017 |
| Aircraft manufacturing | 6,221 | 6,599 | 6,709 | 7,340 | 6,645 | 13,430 | 14,038 | 8,712 |
| Aircraft engine and engine parts mfg. | 2,883 | 2,798 | 2,704 | 2,652 | 2,357 | 2,051 | 1,906 | 2,479 |
| Other aircraft parts and equipment | 2,801 | 2,527 | 1,891 | 676 | 538 | 488 | 1,100 | 1,432 |
| Total | 25,005 | 24,801 | 23,402 | 22,109 | 19,937 | 32,728 | 34,805 | 26,114 |
As aerospace opportunities and requirements expand, Georgia is preparing to meet the growing demand for highly-skilled technicians, engineers and scientists who are able to step-up to the challenges and opportunities of this dynamic industry.