Boeing [NYSE: BA] today announced that it has received a contract from Inmarsat to build three Ka-band satellites to add to Inmarsat's current mobile satellite services fleet. Financial details were not disclosed.

Beginning with the last Bush Administration, and continuing today, production of the Boeing C-17, which employs about 5,000 workers at the final assembly plant in Long Beach, has been the subject of an annual budget battle in Washington D.C. Earlier this week, two U.S. Senators held hearings to put the military on record about how many planes are needed in the fleet.

The C-17 defenders took their heaviest blow yet in this ongoing boxing match between those who want to continue production of the military’s four engine cargo jet, and the Obama Administration, who wants to end the program at the 223 planes already in the pipeline.

Last Saturday, as expected, Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates hit the C-17 cargo plane defenders with another left jab to the chin. In this match up, the Challengers are the Obama Administration, who wants to end production funds for Boeing’s C-17 Globemaster III advanced airlifter, which is assembled in Long Beach by about 5,000 skilled workers. The Defenders are just about everybody else in Washington DC, who wants to continue paying for more of the heavy airlifters.

Round 3 in the annual budget boxing match between C-17 Defenders and those who want to stop production, the Challengers, ended with a stinging left hook to the jaw of the Defenders. In this match up, the Challengers are the Obama Administration, who wants to end production funds for Boeing’s C-17 Globemaster III advanced airlifter, which is assembled in Long Beach by about 5,000 skilled workers. The Defenders are just about everybody else in Washington DC, who wants to continue paying for more of the heavy airlifters.

In a bid to buy time, Boeing recently announced it is slowing C-17 production at its Long Beach final assembly plant. With the Obama Administration trying to end production of the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III advanced airlifter, the company wants to keep the line operating as long as possible with the dwindling number of firm orders already in the books. Boeing employs about 5,000 locals to build the planes and the recent decision could cause layoffs.

The fiscal 2010 defense budget bill continues to work its way through the legislative process—with 10 additional C-17s included. Also included, however, is the veto bait second engine for the joint strike fighter, the F-35. When the senate passed their bill earlier this month, they avoided including the big three veto threat programs that the Obama Administration does not want. But, when the House passed the conference committee report, the second engine was included.

Last Thursday, the government’s new fiscal year began—with no defense budget. The C-17 Challengers, this time led by Republican Senator John Mccain, came out swinging, but the Defenders of the heavy airlift military planes, through up a good block, and the Challengers lost yet another round in this continuing budget match up. It has been reported that Mccain will try again to kill the C-17 this Tuesday.

With the end of the government's fiscal year only 8 days away, Boeing turns up the lobbying heat and the climax of the C-17 fiscal 2010 budget boxing match is approaching. As another C-17 is delivered to the European alliance, Boeing uses Facebook, YouTube, an on-line petition, and a dedicated web site, to rally its cause. A vote could come this week.

Although the flight did not last as long or hit the mach 6 speed anticipated, Boeing’s Huntington Beach cutting edge research unit—Boeing Phantom Works—today achieved a major milestone in sustained hypersonic flight. After seven years in development, the X-51A WaveRider, built by the local Boeing team, achieved mach 5 in a 200 second test flight over the Pacific Ocean.

Is it a miniature space shuttle—a satellite—or an unmanned plane? Answer—yes. Whatever it is, it’s classified by the U.S. Air force. It was built by Boeing in Huntington Beach and is now on its first flight, circling the earth every 90 minutes. The craft is so secret, the Air Force will not even say when it will land.

Boeing [NYSE: BA] announced it has received the first on-orbit signals from the third Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) built by Boeing in El Segundo for NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The satellite, GOES-P, is healthy and ready to begin thruster firings to move to its on-orbit test location.

The Obama Administration, the Challengers, recently unveiled their proposed defense budget for the next fiscal year, which begins on October 1, 2010. Just like last year, once again they want to end production of the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III advanced airlifters, and once again, most elected officials that are speaking up, the Defenders, give the idea a strong right jab. Hanging in the balance are the jobs of about 5,000 Boeing Long Beach employees who assemble the big four engine cargo planes.

With last week’s senate passage of the 2010 defense budget, there are only two short rounds left in this match up between the Obama Administration C-17 challengers, and the Defenders of the large military airlifter. The next round, expected soon, will be the conference committee to reconcile the Senate and House versions. Then, the final round, President Obama’s signature.

It wasn't in the New York Times, or the Los Angeles Times, or on any other mainstream news source. It wasn't covered by any of the other local media outlets which typically cover Long Beach's C-17, and it was not even on the White House web site, but, nevertheless, last week there was a major blow and a near complete victory, in the C-17 budget boxing match up. At this point, the Obama administration Challengers are tottering back and forth and just about to fall to their knees in complete defeat. The cause of this impending defeat is not a crushing blow from the C-17 Defenders, but rather, a basic surrender--throwing in the towel.

This round goes to the C-17 Defenders, in a clear and decisive victory. The end of this C-17 budget boxing matchup is fast approaching. It has been widely reported that the Senate appropriations committee passed a budget bill with funding for 10 more of the big planes, but that might not be the most important blow in this match.