Air Force goes European with new refueling planes

Hot Air ^ | March 01, 2008 | by Ed Morrissey

[SoCal Pubbie]

I have no idea whether this decision is a good one or not, though I doubt the Air Force would be stupid enough to shoot themselves in the foot. I do believe in getting the facts right and after the Dubai ports deal I have learned that people are easily swayed when deeply held preconceptions are reinforced with a little misinformation.

[dragnet2]

I have no idea whether this decision is a good one or not, though I doubt the Air Force would be stupid enough to shoot themselves in the foot.

I tend to agree. And this is a major plus for California. So....

[dr_who_2]

Last time I checked, Northrup is an American company. Read the fine article. America works because of competition. If Boeing and people like yourself can’t accept that, you deserve what you get.

[dragnet2]

ast time I checked, Northrup is an American company

Specifically, a California based company.

[FreeReign]

Arkansas is next.

Jobs created in Arkansas:Northrop Grumman's KC-30 Tanker Will Create Aerospace Jobs and Generate Economic Activity in Arkansas Aug 23, 2007—Northrop Grumman and its KC-30 Tanker supply base will generate significant economic activity and support 150 direct aerospace jobs in Arkansas. With a KC-30 win, Northrop Grumman and its KC-30 industry team will support hundreds of indirect jobs throughout the state and generate a combined economic impact of $31 million annually.

Link

25 more states to go.

[palmer]

Never mind the economic standpoint of Boeing’s loss...what about seeing this from a NATIONAL SECURITY standpoint? If it flies for AMERICA, build the WHOLE DARN THING in AMERICA!!!

Never mind the facts, just use emotion and empty rhetoric!

http://www.boeingchina.com/en/aboutboeing/chronology.shtml

[FreeReign]

Next is California.

Northrop Grumman’s KC-30 Tanker Team Will Support 7,500 California Jobs and Generate Economic Activity Exceeding $360 Million Annually Dec 17, 2007—Northrop Grumman Corporation's KC-30 Tanker team will generate economic activity exceeding $360 million annually and support more than 7,500 direct and indirect jobs in California if the KC-30 Tanker aircraft is selected by the U.S. Air Force. "As you know, California has a long history of supporting our armed forces and fostering the defense and aerospace industries that sustain our nation’s military,” said California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. “If selected for production of the KC-30 Tankers, Northrop Grumman will add the next generation of military technology and aircraft to its already impressive list.”

Link

24 more states to document.

[palmer]

24 more states to document.

Please don't spam the thread.

[Veto!]

How stupid is this? If the Republicans had any shred of possibility for winning in November, the Air Force idiots just blew it away. As a result, the Dems will come in and cancel the contract and refuse to build any more planes or spend another dime on the military.
A
Makes me wonder how safe we are with idiots like this running the Air Force. Obama has decreed that he won’t even spend a cent on military research much less equipment and supplies. Aren’t they listening? Is anyone?

Cover your ears. Hillary is going to be all over this like a rash. And McCain can’t defend it.

[dr_who_2]

I would go further and say that if you think McCain and the Republican’s platform in Ohio could be summarized as “we want to make Boeing be the next GM and the state of Ohio the next Detroit”, then they certainly wouldn’t get my vote.

[mad_as_he$$]

Things have progressed some now. We routinely run simulators of automated equipment with a snooper that looks for unused lines of code. We run the unit through all of the parameters and errors and then look for stuff that was never used. Cuts way down on the search.

[mad_as_he$$]

I like the 747 idea. There are hundreds of them around that could be refurbed and put into service.

[FreeReign]

Florida Northrop Grumman's KC-30 Tanker Will Generate 2,000 New Jobs and Bolster Economic Growth in Florida Aug 8, 2007—Northrop Grumman's KC-30 Tanker program will create more than 2,000 new jobs throughout Florida if the KC-30 Tanker aircraft is selected by the U.S. Air Force. Additionally, the KC-30 Tanker program will generate economic activity in Florida nearing $100 million annually. Link

Georgia Northrop Grumman's KC-30 Tanker Team Will Support 4,200 Jobs in Georgia and Generate Economic Activity Statewide Aug 22, 2007—Northrop Grumman's KC-30 Tanker team will support more than 4,200 direct and indirect jobs throughout Georgia if the KC-30 Tanker aircraft is selected by the U.S. Air Force. The KC-30 program will generate an additional $11 million annually in economic growth in Georgia, bringing the team's total direct and indirect economic impact to $440 million annually. Link

Illinois Northrop Grumman's KC-30 Tanker Team Will Support 4,300 Additional Jobs Throughout Illinois and Generate Economic Activity Approaching $2 Billion Aug 30, 2007—Northrop Grumman's KC-30 Tanker team will create and sustain more than 4,300 jobs throughout Illinois if the KC-30 Tanker aircraft is selected by the U.S. Air Force. Additionally, Northrop Grumman and the KC-30 Tanker supply base will generate economic activity in Illinois approaching $2 billion annually. Link

Indiana Northrop Grumman's KC-30 Tanker Team Will Create Jobs and Generate Economic Activity Approaching $40 Million Annually in Indiana Dec 4, 2007—Northrop Grumman's KC-30 Tanker team will generate economic activity approaching $40 million annually and create more than 570 direct and indirect jobs in Indiana if the KC-30 Tanker aircraft is selected by the U.S. Air Force. Northrop Grumman and the KC-30 supply chain in Indiana currently support more than 4,600 jobs statewide and generate a combined economic activity exceeding $370 million annually. Link

Louisiana Northrop Grumman's KC-30 Tanker Will Create Aerospace Jobs and Generate Economic Activity in Louisiana Aug 23, 2007—Northrop Grumman's KC-30 Tanker team will generate economic activity and support aerospace jobs in Louisiana if the KC-30 Tanker aircraft is selected by the U.S. Air Force. Northrop Grumman and KC-30 teammate EADS generate a combined direct and indirect economic activity of $600 million annually. Northrop Grumman and the KC-30 industry team support more than 5,500 jobs throughout the state and inject $265 million in employee salaries into the economy each year.Link

Maryland Northrop Grumman's KC-30 Tanker Team Will Support 2,800 Jobs and Generate Economic Activity Approaching $225 Million Annually in Maryland Dec 6, 2007—Northrop Grumman's KC-30 Tanker team will generate economic activity exceeding $225 million annually and support more than 2,800 direct and indirect jobs in Maryland if the KC-30 Tanker aircraft is selected by the U.S. Air Force. Northrop Grumman and the KC-30 supply chain in Maryland currently support more than 18,500 jobs statewide and generate a combined economic activity exceeding $1.3 billion annually.Link

Michigan Northrop Grumman's KC-30 Tanker Team Will Create Aerospace Jobs and Generate Economic Activity Approaching $200 Million Annually in Michigan Nov 28, 2007—Northrop Grumman's KC-30 Tanker team will generate economic activity approaching $200 million annually and create or support more than 2,700 direct and indirect jobs in Michigan if the KC-30 Tanker aircraft is selected by the U.S. Air Force. Northrop Grumman and the KC-30 supply chain in Michigan currently support nearly 14,000 jobs statewide and generate a combined economic activity exceeding $1.1 billion annually.Link

Mississippi Northrop Grumman's KC-30 Tanker Will Bolster Economic Growth and Create Aerospace Jobs in Mississippi Aug 15, 2007—Northrop Grumman's KC-30 Tanker program will contribute nearly $12 million annually to Mississippi's economy if the KC-30 Tanker aircraft is selected by the U.S. Air Force. Northrop Grumman and principal KC-30 teammate EADS currently employ 11,000 Mississippians, support more than 34,000 jobs statewide and bring a combined economic impact of $2 billion annually to Mississippi. Northrop Grumman injects an employee payroll of $574 million into the state's economy each year. Link

We are only up to the "M's", I could go on.

[Veto!]

“Linking the fate of the Republican party to that of a defense contractor is a dubious form of patriotism.”

That’s corporatethink. Republicans ought to try some Humanspeak, like “We’re keeping thousands of jobs here in the USA.” That’s what wins elections.

The USAF contracting office did not work hard enough with Boeing to negotiate the best plane at the best price. Government agencies are notoriously bad at negotiating.

[Shanty Shaker]

The cost changes that will be added through the change order process will equalize any of the concerns you note.

[FreeReign]

Please don't spam the thread.

Your post is spam. My posts document jobs created. You have a problem with that?

[Veto!]

You won’t vote for a Republican, you can’t vote for a Dem (I assume) and Bloomberg announced last week that he won’t get in. I was hoping he would, as he has the brains to get the USA back on the right financial track, if anyone does.

Come to think of it, perhaps he thinks the economy is unfixable.

[norton]

My information is dated, but for what it's worth:

last I heard, the only thing keeping C-17 alive was Boeing internal funding and lame hopes for foreign sales. AF was showing little willingness to go beyond the 220+ already on order...onsies and twosies (spec ops etc) but about 230 AC total. Editorializing about some "historical partnership" is stretching the point as far as Long Beach is concerned.

Boeing has been happily dismantling the old MDC facility here and developing the real estate. Commercial facilities are gone and only C-17 and some support services remain for the most part. (They did leave the "Home of the Douglas Jets" sign either as a gift or a poke in the eye)

I think the C-17 tooling all belongs to Boeing and once it starts coming down the cost of starting over would buy you a medium sized country.

Profit in large AC is in their sustainment...decades worth of parts for these planes will have to come from Europe. Put another way - building them is the cheap part, sustaining them in service is where the real money is and that money will be going to the existing European suppliers and not to Alabama. Remember that these are based on existing (euro) aircraft and economy does not come from replacing current parts with American substitutes,also, support (actually hanging parts on the AC) will probably take place at AF depots. (Nowhere in the news releases have I seen the phrase "lifetime cost" and that's usually a gov. mantra)

I've read that the RFP drove Boeing to the smaller AC but it's also true that they wanted a new role for 737 specifically and the AF had wanted that plane before. Never saw the spec so that's rumor.

Some of the posts here claim the EADS AC has more capabilities. They both meet the specification but Airbus does it on a bigger platform. Not more capabilities but higher capacity (we are told).

[FreeReign]

I would go further and say that if you think McCain and the Republican’s platform in Ohio could be summarized as “we want to make Boeing be the next GM and the state of Ohio the next Detroit”, then they certainly wouldn’t get my vote.

Did you say Ohio?

MELBOURNE, Fla., Oct. 11, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE): Northrop Grumman Corporation's KC-30 Tanker team will generate economic activity and create more than 2,300 direct and indirect jobs in Ohio if the KC-30 Tanker aircraft is selected by the U.S. Air Force. Northrop Grumman, EADS, GE Aviation and the KC-30 supply chain in Ohio currently support 14,500 jobs statewide and generate a combined economic activity exceeding $13 billion annually. "Ohio is not only home to GE Aviation, but also home to the KC-30 Tanker's CF6 engines," said Russ Sparks, vice president of military systems for GE Aviation, headquartered in Cincinnati. "The KC-30 supply chain in Ohio is vast and builds upon the rich heritage of aerospace excellence in our state. A KC-30 Tanker win benefits our Air Force, the state of Ohio and U.S. taxpayers." Northrop Grumman and teammate EADS spend nearly $4 billion annually in Ohio, while KC-30 supplier companies inject more than $1 billion into the economy each year. Northrop Grumman's current workforce in Ohio earns more than $70 million annually. Northrop Grumman's KC-30 Tanker supply base in Ohio will include:

GE; Cincinnati - will provide the CF6 engines Goodrich; Troy, Ohio - nose wheel assemblies
RTI International; Niles, Ohio - will provide titanium
Barnes Aerospace; West Chester, Ohio - CF6 engine sub-assemblies
Byron Products; Fairfield, Ohio - CF6 engine sub-assemblies
Cincinnati Thermal Spray; Cincinnati - CF6 engine sub-assemblies
Ferco Tech; Franklin, Ohio - CF6 engine sub-assemblies
GE Shop - Frames & Shafts; Evendale, Ohio - CF6 engine sub-assemblies
GE Shop - Tubes; Xenia, Ohio - CF6 engine sub-assemblies
Graphel Corporation; West Chester, Ohio - CF6 engine sub-assemblies
Metal Improvement Co.; Blue Ash, Ohio - CF6 engine sub-assemblies
Ohio Gasket & Shim; Akron, Ohio - CF6 engine sub-assemblies
Parker Aerospace; Forest, Ohio - CF6 engine sub-assemblies
PCC - Airfoils Co.; Wickliffe, Ohio - CF6 engine sub-assemblies
QC Labs; Woodlawn, Ohio - CF6 engine sub-assemblies Tool Sales & Service; Cincinnati - CF6 engine sub-assemblies
TW Metals; Cincinnati - CF6 engine sub-assemblies
U.S. Aeroteam; Dayton, Ohio - CF6 engine sub-assemblies
U.S. Chrome Corp.; Dayton, Ohio - CF6 engine sub-assemblies
Honeywell; Urbana, Ohio - pilot director and marker lights
Northrop Grumman; Fairborn, Ohio - will provide the training system

Link

[dr_who_2]

What irritates me the most is so-called “Conservatives” harping on how winning government contracts creates jobs or how creating special incentives will attract this company into some region and create umpity-ump jobs when the effect overall is more than often irrelevant to the local economy or even worse for the country. What they’re really doing is screwing up the market and the taxpayers... something that Ted Kennedy Democrats are for.