Underscoring its resolve to be a force in military aviation, Boeing Co. said yesterday that it will team with McDonnell Douglas Corp. on the Joint Strike Fighter warplane program even if the pending merger of the two companies falls through.

The Pentagon cut McDonnell Douglas out of the competition for the Joint Strike Fighter in November, leaving Boeing and Bethesda's Lockheed Martin Corp. to duke it out for what could be the biggest military contract ever, at more than $200 billion.

Boeing officials said at the time that they planned to tap the tremendous military heritage at McDonnell Douglas as they seek to build the first Boeing fighter since World War II. Yesterday's announcement lets them start working together right away instead of waiting several more months for the marriage to become official.