Boeing NewGen Tanker Win Would Bring 680 Jobs, $32 Million
Boeing is pulling out the stops in a media campaign that seems
destined to make themselves the leader for the turbulent NewGen
Tanker program. The company claims that Arizona (which can use all
the help it can get, lately) will benefit from approximately
680 jobs and an estimated $32 million in annual economic impact if
the Boeing NewGen Tanker is selected as the Air Force's next aerial
refueling aircraft.
"The high quality jobs Boeing will bring to Arizona with this
exciting project are the kind worth fighting for," said Arizona
Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Glenn Hamer. "Jobs like these
not only pay better than most manufacturing jobs, but they have a
tremendous downstream effect on the economy, spurring growth in
numerous sectors. Boeing is a great corporate citizen, and Arizona
is fortunate to have such a respected company here in our
state."
Arizona manufacturers ready to produce critical components on
the NewGen Tanker include:
- Aviation Communication & Surveillance, Phoenix -- Traffic
Management Computer (TMC) for superior situation awareness
- American Aerospace Technical Castings, Phoenix --
castings.
Boeing currently has approximately 4,800 employees in Arizona
supporting a variety of programs and works with more than 570
suppliers/vendors across the state, resulting in an estimated $1.1
billion in annual economic impact.
Boeing's NewGen Tanker bid is a widebody, multi-mission aircraft
based on the proven Boeing 767 commercial airplane and updated with
the latest and most advanced technology. Capable of fulfilling the
Air Force's needs for transport of fuel, cargo, passengers and
patients, the combat-ready NewGen Tanker is being offered as a
replacement for 179 KC-135 aircraft. Boeing is writing a proposal
to meet or exceed the 372 mandatory requirements described in the
service's final KC-X Request for Proposal released on Feb. 24. The
Air Force is expected to award a contract later this year.
The NewGen Tanker will be made 'with a low-risk approach to
manufacturing that relies on existing Boeing facilities in
Washington state and Kansas as well as U.S. suppliers throughout
the nation, with decades of experience delivering dependable
military tanker and derivative aircraft. Nationwide, the NewGen
Tanker program will support approximately 50,000 total U.S. jobs
with Boeing and more than 800 suppliers in more than 40
states.'
Boeing claims that their NewGen Tanker will be more
cost-effective to own and operate than a larger, heavier tanker. It
will save American taxpayers more than $10 billion in fuel costs
over its 40-year service life because it burns 24 percent less fuel
than the competitor's airplane.
Boeing notes that it has been designing, building, modifying and
supporting tankers for decades. These include the KC-135 that will
be replaced in the KC-X competition, and the KC-10 fleet. The
company also has delivered four KC-767Js to the Japan Air
Self-Defense Force and is on contract to deliver four KC-767s to
the Italian Air Force. Three of the four Italian tankers are in
flight test, with the fourth airplane in production.
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