Boeing is in talks with the U.S. Defense Department over how the planemaker's planned guilty plea could affect its extensive government contracts, a person briefed on the matter said.

Boeing has agreed to plead guilty to a criminal fraud conspiracy charge to resolve a U.S. Justice Department investigation linked to two 737 MAX fatal crashes, the government said in a court filing late on Sunday.

As part of the deal, stemming from fatal 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019, the company agreed to pay a fine of nearly half a billion dollars and strengthen its safety programs.

Boeing will plead guilty to a criminal fraud charge stemming from two crashes of 737 Max jetliners that killed 346 people after the government determined the company violated an agreement that had protected it from prosecution for more than three years, the Justice Department said.

Family members of those who died in the 2018 and 2019 crashes of Boeing 737 MAX jets have denounced the new plea agreement being offered to the airline manufacturer by the US Department of Justice.

Boeing on Monday said it had "reached an agreement" with the US Department of Justice over two fatal 737 MAX crashes more than five years ago.

Boeing said Monday it had reached a deal with the US Department of Justice over two fatal 737 MAX crashes, which court papers show would see the aviation giant plead guilty to fraud.

To avoid a trial, Boeing has agreed to the terms of a DOJ settlement deal related to twin crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia in 2018 and 2019.