By Andrew Edwards, Press-Telegram

April 13, 2015 at 1:05pm

LONG BEACH >> Boeing Co. will auction off industrial equipment previously used to manufacture the C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft, according to a San Diego company that announced Monday it will accept bids on behalf of the aerospace firm.

Heritage Global Partners, a San Diego company, stated it will accept sealed bids for Boeing’s equipment through June 23.

The equipment up for auction includes a Broetje-Automation robotic lexible assembly cell, which is a large piece of equipment designed to assemble fuselage sections for big aircraft.

Boeing’s production of the Globemaster is expected to come to a close by year’s end. Boeing employees completed the last “major join” of the aircraft by combining its fuselage, wing, tail and nose assemblies in February. The final aircraft was the 279th C-17 Globemaster to be produced in Long Beach.

The first such major join took place in 1990.

Boeing is still selling the final C-17s to foreign air forces. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott revealed this past Thursday that his country would purchase two C-17 aircraft. Boeing had only five aircraft without buyers as of the Australian announcement.

Boeing announced its decision to shut down C-17 production in 2013.

The aerospace company has not made a decision on what will ultimately happen to the Long Beach plant where the C-17 has been assembled, spokeswoman Tiffany Pitts said in an email.

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