Boeing Now One of the Largest Defense Contractors in Fort Walton Beach, Fla.

Byline: Rebecca Cason

Dec. 17--Just as the military has changed since the days of the Cold War, so have the defense contractors that support it.

Now, instead of amassing large quantities of weapons systems, the military is producing far fewer and keeping the existing weapons for a longer period.

Because older equipment can be costly to maintain, defense contractors have had to adapt to the military's changing needs.

This is true locally, especially for Boeing, which is tasked with supporting the Air Force Special Operations Command aircraft fleet.

"We are a low-cost center," said Bill Grant, program manager for Boeing Special …