Boeing receives U.S. Air Force Tanker contract

Boeing receives U.S. Air Force Tanker contract

2011-02-25 06:22:18 GMT+7 (ICT)

WASHINGTON D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- The Boeing Company on Thursday received a contract from the U.S. Air Force for replacing 179 of the 400 KC-135 tankers.

"We're honored to be given the opportunity to build the Air Force's next tanker and provide a vital capability to the men and women of our armed forces," said Jim McNerney, Boeing chairman, president and CEO.

Boeing will build the next-generation aerial refueling tanker aircraft. Under the terms of the contract, Boeing will design, develop, manufacture and deliver 18 initial combat-ready tankers by 2017.

"Boeing has always been committed to the integrity of the competitive process. Our Boeing commercial and defense teams and our entire supplier network are ready to extend that commitment to delivering these tankers on time and on budget," said Jim Albaugh, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

The U.S. Air Force selected Boeing after a lengthy and rigorous proposal process. The Boeing NewGen Tanker is based on the Boeing 767 commercial airplane and meets all requirements at the lowest risk for the warfighter and the best value for taxpayers.

The Boeing proposal was created by an integrated "One Boeing" team from various sites across the company, including employees from the Commercial Airplanes; Defense, Space & Security; and Engineering, Operations & Technology organizations.

The KC-46A multi-mission tankers will be built using a low-risk approach to manufacturing by a trained and experienced U.S. work force at existing Boeing facilities.

In this way, the new contract will allow supporting approximately 50,000 jobs with Boeing and more than 800 suppliers in more than 40 states, as well as fueling the U.S. economy.

The KC-46A Tanker is a widebody, multi-mission aircraft updated with the latest and most advanced technology and capable of meeting or exceeding the Air Force's needs for transport of fuel, cargo, passengers and patients.

The 767-based aircraft includes state-of-the-art systems to meet the demanding mission requirements, including a digital flight deck featuring Boeing 787 Dreamliner electronic displays and a flight control design philosophy that places aircrews in command instead of computer software.

The NewGen Tanker also features an advanced KC-10 boom with an expanded refueling envelope, increased fuel offload rate and fly-by-wire control system.

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