Spirit AeroSystems Inc. held a grand opening event and ribbon cutting ceremony for its National Defense Prototype Center (NDPC), a joint project with Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) Oct. 15. This new research center will significantly expand Spirit’s capabilities and production efficiencies in the defense and space market.
“NIAR has been a tremendous partner in the development of the National Defense Prototype Center and enabling Wichita as a center for defense growth,” said Duane Hawkins, Spirit AeroSystems executive vice president; president, Defense and Space. “The NDPC provides secure space for development, prototyping, industrialization and testing of emerging high temperature materials and is directly aligned with Spirit’s growth strategies to achieve $1 billion of defense revenue by the mid-2020s.”