Via the BBC: Air tanker deal provokes US row

Lawmakers from Washington state and Kansas, which have big Boeing plants, voiced “outrage” that it had gone to a consortium including Europe’s Airbus.

The planes will be assembled in Alabama but constructed largely in Europe.

[...]

Congressional lawmakers from the state’s Seattle area issued a joint statement condemning the “outsourcing” of the contract.

“We are outraged that this decision taps European Airbus and its foreign workers to provide a tanker to our American military,” they said.

Todd Tiahrt, a Republican congressman from Wichita, Kansas, called for “an American tanker built by an American company with American workers”.

That sounds all patriotic, of course, but the bottom line appears to be that Air Force prefers the other plane:

Gen Arthur J Lichte, commander of the US Air Force’s Air Mobility Command, said the winning design had many advantages over Boeing’s tanker.

“More passengers, more cargo, more fuel to offload, more patients that we can carry, more availability, more flexibility and more dependability,” he said.

Certainly the US government ought to be getting the best plane for the best price, regardless of where it is built.

Of course, Tiahart’s concern about American workers has a lot more to do with Kansas than the ol’ Red, White and Blue, as the folks in Alabama, where the planes will be assembled in a new plant near Mobile, are thrilled (via WSFA in Montgomery):

A government contract to build 179 large refueling aircraft for the United States Air Force was awarded to Northrop Grumman-EADS Corp. Friday. The European company beat out American-based Boeing Corp. for the contract. The new planes will replace the United States Air Force’s aging fleet of Boeing KC-135 airplanes.

Mobile, Alabama will be the assembly site for the estimated $40 billion aircraft manufacturing contract. An estimated 2,000 aerospace industry jobs are expected to be created as a result of the win.

Alabama Governor Bob Riley says, “To say this is a great day for Alabama is a monumental understatement. This will go down in history as one of our greatest days. “This announcement is the fulfillment of a dream that began three years ago, and that dream was to bring high-paying aerospace jobs to Mobile. It was a dream to provide the men and women of our military with the best and most efficient aerial refueling tanker. Those dreams are being fulfilled and they will be made a reality in our state. “The selection of Northrop Grumman-EADS is the result of extremely hard work by a unified team from the company, the state, the federal government and Mobile. I congratulate everyone involved and thank them for all they’ve done.”

Indeed, Alabama has been connecting quite a bit with the global economy of late. Montgomery is the site of a fairly new Hyundai plant, and:

This is the second major industrial annoucement in less than a year for the Mobile area. German steelmaker ThyssenKrupp is currently building a multi-billion steelplant in the area.

5 Responses to “The New KC-45A and the Global Economy”

1. Bob McCammon Says:
   March 1st, 2024 at 6:24 pm

   Is it true the airframe will be built in France and then flown to Mobile for the installation of the refueling equipment? Who will make the engines?

2. Oldfart Says:
   March 2nd, 2024 at 5:07 am

   Uh – part of Todd Tiahrt’s job is to support the area he represents. Just as part of Alabama Governor Bob Riley’s job is to support the area he represents. Neither one of them are either unpatriotic or insular. Had it gone the other way, I’m sure Riley would have been ranting. What is sad that it has to be either/or. And that Boeing couldn’t come up with something better.

3. Dr. Steven Taylor Says:
   March 2nd, 2024 at 10:21 am

   You are right about their responsibilities, but it is disingenuous to cast is a need for American workers and American planes.

   If Riley had deplored pseudo-patriotic rhetoric in decrying a loss for Alabama in terms of the contract, I’d have called him on that as well.

4. John Says:
   March 3rd, 2024 at 8:56 pm

   The airframe for only the first 2 or 3 or 4 will be flown to the USA.

   After that the airframe components arrive on an ocean going vessel to Mobile for assembly…. wings, left and right, fuselage sections (many round sections) the tail and elevators, and the flight deck..

   The engines are CF6 from General Electric.

   Here is the best part… EADS just announced that in addition to KC-45A final assembly at Mobile they will also assemble A330-200F (freighters) at Mobile. So far, the world market has ordered 80 of those aircraft.

   This is a HUGE win for Mobile and America too. 58% domestic content PLUS the freighters assembled in Mobile

   Great job EADS.. Go Mobile AL..

5. GM Cassel AMH1(AW) USN RET Says:
   March 8th, 2024 at 2:24 pm

   But it is still a flying corrosion trap. No clad aluminum is used. So down the road when the time and cycles build there will be maintenance problems with the skin/structure.