Saturday, February 26, 2011
THEREALAMERICANTANKERS.COM
Dear Supporter,
Great news! We were just informed that Boeing has been selected to build the U.S. Air Force’s next generation of aerial refueling tankers. Thanks in part to your vocal support, the Boeing NewGen Tanker will provide unrivaled aerial-refueling capabilities to American servicemen and women for decades to come, while employing more than 50,000 U.S. workers in meaningful jobs across the country.
Before we can start building planes, the Air Force must first meet with the competitors in the coming days to explain the selection.
While we wait for this to occur, please visit www.RealAmericanTankers.com as soon as possible to tell your elected officials that you support the Air Force’s selection of the Boeing NewGen Tanker. We’re confident that the Air Force chose the best aircraft. With more than 60 years of experience providing aerial-refueling tankers to America’s military, Boeing is ready to start building the NewGen Tanker NOW.
The Air Force’s selection of Boeing is a victory for the U.S. aerospace industry. It is a victory for American workers and our recovering economy. And, perhaps most important, it is a victory for the men and women of our armed forces. We’ll keep you informed as we learn more in the coming days.
Until then, thanks for your continued support!
Sincerely, Sean McCormack, http://www.therealamericantankers.com/
CONGRESSMAN ADAM SMITH
News from U.S. Rep. Adam Smith (WA-09)
Ranking Member, House Armed Services Committee
For Immediate Release: Thursday, February 24, 2011
Contact: Shana Chandler, 202-225-6901
Smith’s Statement on KC-X Source Selection Announcement
Washington - Today, Congressman Adam Smith (WA-09), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement in response to the announcement that the Department of Defense has selected a provider for the KC-X Aerial Refueling Tanker:
“I am pleased that the Air Force has selected Boeing’s proposal to replace the aging fleet of aerial refueling tankers. After numerous delays, today’s announcement moves us closer to meeting the Air Force’s top acquisition priority.
“In a time when our nation is recovering from an economic crisis, today’s announcement by the Department of Defense is a huge boost to Washington State. A Washington State-made tanker will support more than 11,000 jobs in state and 50,000 jobs across the country.
“I know that the men and women at the Boeing Company will provide the warfighter with a high quality product to meet their mission requirements and I look forward to working with the Air Force as we move forward.”
CONGRESSMAN DAVE REICHERT
David Reichert
Contact: Charles McCray III (202) 225-7761
Reichert Statement on the Air Force Tanker Announcement
Mercer Island, WA, Feb 24 -
Congressman Dave Reichert (WA-08) released this statement in reaction to the Air Force’s announcement to award Boeing with a contract to build the next generation of refueling tanker for American Armed Forces:
“This is great news, and I’m very happy for the Boeing company, its employees, and the entire state of Washington,” Reichert said. “The Department of Defense reevaluated their original decision, this time considering the serious security implications involved, and rightly settled on Boeing – a company with decades of industrial knowledge, established infrastructure, and an army of skilled engineers that are capable of producing the best refueling tanker for our Armed Forces.
“I take my oath to protect and defend our Constitution seriously, and one of the most effective ways I can uphold that pledge is to ensure that our men and women in uniform, serving around the world, have the best tools possible to complete their mission. With this decision, we not only gain a source of much-needed job creation in the region, but we also reassure our troops that we are committed to serving them, just as they have committed to serving for us.”
GOVERNOR CHRIS GREGOIRE
Gov. Gregoire’s statement on U.S. Air Force decision to award tanker contract to Boeing
OLYMPIA – Gov. Chris Gregoire today issued the following statement on the selection of The Boeing Company to build the next refueling tanker for the U.S. Air Force:
“What a great day for The Boeing Company, and for the 11,000 aerospace workers in Washington state alone that will play a role in assembling the NewGen tanker. Following an open, transparent process, the Department of Defense realized what I’ve been saying all along – and that is that Boeing has designed the safest, most cost-effective tanker to serve both our military and our taxpayers well.
“I commend The Boeing Company for its determination and tremendous work to land this contract. This was an arduous process, and Boeing deserves our praise for its commitment to its workforce, as well as the men and women that serve in the U.S. Air Force.
“I also thank my fellow governors that joined with me as I launched the U.S. Tanker Coalition, as well as our state’s Congressional delegation. We’ve spent the last year advocating on behalf of Boeing – ensuring our federal and military leaders understood the advantages of an American-made tanker, made by the best manufacturer of airplanes in the world. Our military, our national security, our economy and the 50,000 workers nationwide who are impacted by this decision are better off following this announcement – and for that, we should all be proud.”
Friday, February 25, 2011
The Air Force-led selection effort included experts from the larger Department of Defense community, including the office of the Defense Secretary's staff and independent review teams during each step of the process.
"Many factors were evaluated during the tanker selection process," said Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley.
Selection "took into account mission effectiveness in wartime and life cycle costs as embodied in fuel efficiency and military construction costs," said Donley, emphasizing that both offerors met all the mandatory requirements.
"The thorough and transparent selection process was marked by continual dialogue with offerors to ensure the Air Force had a clear understanding of their proposals and the companies clearly understood the service's analysis of their offers," said Donley.
"Gen. Schwartz and I are confident in the fact that when our young pilots, boom operators and maintainers receive this aircraft, they will have the tools they need to be successful at what we ask them to do," Donley said.
"To the men and women of our Air Force, today's announcement represents a long-overdue start to a much-needed program," Donley said. "Your Air Force leadership, supported by others throughout the Department of Defense, is determined to see this through, and we will stand behind this work."
The program will deliver the first 18 aircraft by 2017. Basing decisions for the aircraft will take place over the next couple of years.
U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
On the Web: http://www.defense.gov/releases/
Media Contact: +1 (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public Contact: http://www.defense.gov/landing/questions.aspx
or +1 (703) 428-0711 +1
Friday, February 4, 2011
Based on this feedback, we’re now making final adjustments to our bid, which we’ll submit to the Air Force no later than Feb. 11. Our best-and-final offer will combine decades of tanker experience, the best aerial refueling technology and a proven Boeing airframe to best fulfill the Air Force’s requirements.
As the competition comes down to the wire, our tanker team is focused on one thing – providing the Air Force with the most capable tanker at the lowest cost to taxpayers.
In related news, the World Trade Organization, or WTO, this week issued a confidential final decision regarding the European Union’s complaint against alleged U.S. government subsidies to Boeing. Based on news reports, the ruling confirmed what we’ve known all along – the support Boeing has received pales in comparison to Airbus’ $20 billion in illegal subsidies, enough money for Airbus to develop nearly its entire lineup of commercial airplanes. These illegal subsidies have distorted competition in the aerospace industry for decades and eliminated tens of thousands of good-paying U.S. jobs. Airbus should finance airplanes the same way Boeing does – with its own money.
These subsidies also are tipping the scales unfairly in the Air Force tanker contest as the competitor’s airplane – the A330 – has received more than $5 billion in illegal subsidies from European governments while Boeing paid 100 percent for the development of the 767 aircraft. In a blog posting earlier this week, defense analyst Loren Thompson wrote, “The A330 being offered in the tanker competition wouldn’t even exist had it not been for a 40-year pattern of receiving illegal launch aid.”
While we work toward submitting our final proposal, please visit TheRealAmericanTankers.com to tell your elected officials that the Boeing NewGen Tanker is the right plane for American warfighters, taxpayers and workers.
We’ll keep you updated as we enter the home stretch of the competition, and thanks again for your continued support!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
This amendment is a strong first step toward the goal of making sure there will be a level playing field in the KC-X tanker competition, requiring the government to consider any unfair competitive advantage that European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (EADS) and its subsidiary Airbus have gained from decades of illegal subsidies. Read Boeing’s full statement on the Real American Tankers website.
Last night was important to making sure American workers have a level playing field as they compete for programs critical to our national defense. Thank you for taking the time to stand up for American jobs and a fair tanker competition, but we have more work to do. Stay tuned as the House and Senate continue to debate the critical issues at stake in this competition.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
This past March the World Trade Organization (WTO) issued a final ruling in the U.S. Government's four year trade case against the European Union for providing billions of dollars in launch aid and subsidies to EADS/Airbus.
To date, these illegal subsidies have contributed to the loss of more than 65,000 U.S. aerospace jobs. However, the Department of Defense does not plan to take into account these billions of dollars in illegal subsidies -- and the significant pricing advantage they provide to EADS/Airbus - in the KC-X Tanker competition.
To address this issue, Representatives Inslee (D-WA), DeLauro (D-CT) and Tiahrt (R-KS) plan to offer an amendment this week to the FY 2011 National Defense Authorization Bill to address the illegal subsidies and level the competitive playing field. The amendment requires the Department of Defense to take into account illegal subsidies, as determined by the WTO, in major defense acquisition programs - including the KC-X Tanker competition.
Please log onto The Real American Tankers website here and take action today by sending a letter to your U.S. Representative and Senators to express your strong support for the Inslee-DeLauro-Tiahrt Fair Defense Competition Amendment.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
Want to see today's press release from The Boeing Company regarding the NewGen Tanker offer to the US Air Force? You can stay up to date on news related to the NewGen Tanker by visiting here. Feel free to share this information.
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