(Reuters) - Boeing ( BA ) said on Tuesday it will open a new engineering facility in Florida for its defense and government services portfolios and aims to hire for nearly 200 engineering jobs this year.

Initial plans for the facility in Daytona Beach include employees performing engineering work for military aircraft programs and advanced technology capabilities, with a focus on engineering design, research, development and prototyping capabilities.

Boeing Daytona Beach is expected to be operational by late fall, with the planemaker expecting that hiring for the facility will nearly double over the next few years.

Earlier on Tuesday, Boeing ( BA ) said it had delivered 24 commercial planes in May, about half of the 50 jets it handed over to customers during the same month a year earlier, as it continued operating a slower assembly line to complete outstanding work.