ST. LOUIS — Boeing Co. will move the headquarters for its defense unit from St. Louis to the Washington, D.C., area.

The move announced Tuesday by Chicago-based Boeing affects about a dozen top executives and some support staff. It will not affect the day-to-day operations for defense workers in St. Louis.

A Boeing spokesman told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch the move reflects the company’s desire to be closer to those in power in Washington and is unrelated to recent criticism from President-elect Donald Trump over the potential cost of the Air Force One presidential jet program.

Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com