'America's New Tanker' Garners "Tens Of Thousands" Of Letters,
NGC Says
Two can play at that game. Responding to a flurry of recent
press announcements by Boeing, attempting to garner public favor
for its protest of the awarding of a lucrative US Air Force aerial
refueling contract, Northrop Grumman recently launched its own
"America's New Tanker" website "to inform the general public about
the facts surrounding the US Air Force's selection of Northrop
Grumman to deliver the KC-45 aerial refueling tanker aircraft."
"This website serves as a central point of accurate information
and current news for Americans who want to learn the facts about
the KC-45 Tanker -- from the 48,000 US jobs this program will
support to how citizens can take action and contact their elected
officials," said Randy Belote, Northrop Grumman vice president of
corporate and international communications.
Northrop adds citizens across the nation have responded to the
selection of the KC-45A, by generating "tens of thousands" of
letters to their respective congressman, senators and governors in
support of the Air Force's selection of Northrop Grumman to provide
the KC-45 Tanker.
The website also offers a capability that enables visitors to
receive e-mail news updates about the program. (One wonders
what Boeing's response to this will be... perhaps the KC-767 will
get its own MySpace page? Ed.)
"Following the Feb. 29 Air Force announcement that it had
selected Northrop Grumman to build and deliver the new fleet of
KC-45 aerial refueling tankers, supporters of the losing bidder
spread misinformation about the basis for the Air Force's
decision," Belote added. "We believe that citizens who visit the
site will learn the facts surrounding the program - like the fact
that the program is led by an American company, that the aircraft
will be built in the United States in four new factories, and that
the KC-45 is the superior tanker for our Airmen at best value for
American taxpayers."
The KC-45 Tanker aircraft will create 48,000 new American jobs
at 230 companies in 49 states. The aircraft will be assembled and
modified at new, state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in
Mobile, AL while the KC-45's refueling systems will be built at new
facilities in Bridgeport, WV and delivered to the KC-45 Production
Center for aircraft integration.
The KC-45 will be built by a world-class industrial team led by
Northrop Grumman, and includes EADS North America, GE Aviation,
Sargent Fletcher, Honeywell, Parker, Goodrich, AAR Cargo Systems,
Telephonics, Knight Aerospace, Astronics and Aircraft Safety.