Boeing's new CEO Kelly Ortberg said the company's defense unit chief Ted Colbert is leaving Boeing and that a replacement would be named later. The defense unit accounted for about 40% of Boeing's revenue in the first half of the year.

Colbert's removal from Boeing Defense marks CEO Kelly Ortberg's first major management change since taking the helm last month.

Boeing says the head of its troubled space and defence unit is leaving the company immediately, in the first management change under new chief executive officer Kelly Ortberg.