Tanker deal offers value

In rallying about 2,000 of its employees in El Segundo earlier this month, Northrop Grumman Corp.

[Mike Kennedy]

Good plug for local business. Hope our local congress lady reads it!

[American Taxpayer]

Good article.

[ncChris]

Let us assume that Boeing can build an airplane as good if not better than EADS. According to your article 65% of all raw materials come from the USA. What amount of the raw materials will be transported to Europe to build the tanker? What is the cost of transporting the material to Europe and the cost of shipping it back to the USA for assembly? The answer cannot be given accurately now since the costs of transportation have risen dramatically and will continue to do so. Proponents for the EADS contract argue that 48,000 jobs will be created in the USA. How many jobs will this contract generate in Europe and what percentage of the $100billion go to Europe where the euro is beginning to dwarf the U.S. dollar ?
Has anyone considered making this a joint venture between Northrup/Grumman and Boeing ?
Has anyone considered to allow Boeing to build the airplanes and Northrup/Grumman complete whatever EADS would have them do ? Accepting my proposal would give even more jobs to
the American work force and provide a tremendous boost to our economy.

[Hello]

Unless the GAO uncovers some major flaws in the way the tanker contract was awarded, the deal should go forward. If Congress tries to meddle in the process, other nations could attempt to retaliate against U.S. companies when they compete in international markets. American workers simply have too much to lose under that scenario.
By stating that other markets are fully open to US companies, you demonstrate that you are either a fool or a liar.

[For America]

The Boeing plane is a better choice for the American taxpayer. What about the cost of increased fuel and hangars for the larger plane. The Airbus plane is too big! It will take off and land with more fuel and all of this will be at a tremendous price. Read the European news. They report 40,000 jobs from this contract!! Some one is not telling the truth on the job estimates. Many of the foreign markets will not allow American companies to compete. When the French decide to pull their support for this plane down the road when they do not agree with the US politics, we can evaluate the wisdom of this choice at that time!

[cats]

Check out www.americasnewtanker.com and www.northropgrumman.com . Lots of information about Americas New Tanker and the US companies and US States that will prosper from this award.
Way to go Northrop Grumman!!!

[Ivan]

NG originally said their KC-X programs would result in 25,000 direct and indirect US jobs, but quickly doubled that number to 48,000 when Boeing released its 44,000 jobs number. If NG can't correctly estimate the number of jobs they expect create, how can we expect them to properly run a $35-40 billion dollar program? The answer is easy, NG won't be running the KC-45 program, they are a front company for EADS and Airbus. NG did not design the A330, Airbus did. NG did not design the KC-30 or the KC-X, EADS did. NG did not design the KC-X boom refueling system, EADS did. NG will not built the "KC-45", EADS will, in an EADS owned factory in Mobile, if EADS ever builds that factory. Boeing has every right to protest the KC-X decision, US Law allows them to protest. Boeing rarely protest DOD decisions, but in this case Boeing felt that the USAF selection process was flawed and chose to protest to the GAO. None of the "four new aerospace manufacturing plants in Alabama and West Virginia" will design anything. EADS will own the final assembly factory in Mobile, when they build it. NG will own the modification factory (modifying A330 to KC-45 under a license from EADS) in Mobile, after they build it. The W Virginia factory will built the EADS designed air refueling boom under license and the forth factory is ??? NG fails to mention how many jobs in Europe the KC-45 will support. NG continues to "Sugar" coat the 60% foreign content of the KC-45.
The EADS designed KC-45 has never been built or flown, EADS has an A330 that one day will be modified into a KC-45 in a complex process involving factories in 4 countries, follow-on KC-45s will follow an ever changing process until both (EADS final assembly and NG tanker modification) of the Mobile factories is built. EADS has built 1 A330 based KC-30 for Australia, this aircraft in currently with EADS at its Sevilla, Spain plant where it will remain until mid-2009 for ground and flight testing. Boeing’s KC-767AT (Advanced Tanker), called the “franken-tanker” by EADS/NG supporters is far from a “conglomeration of parts & subsystems”, it is based on the KC-767 that is currently operational with Japan, 2 delivered earlier this year with the remaining 2 to be delivered in 2009 and Italy with 2 scheduled for delivery this year and 2 more on order. The KC-767AT combined the fuselage of the 767-200, the wings of the 767-300F and the cockpit/avionics of the 767-400. Since all 767 share a common design these sections are basically interchangeable. About 80% of the 767 is US made while 60% of the A330/KC-45 will be foreign made, the KC-45 will only be assembled in Mobile from major sub-assemblies supplied by Airbus. And if any problems/delays occur at the Mobile factory, EADS will shift production to Toulouse, France.