The Boeing Company on May 13 announced that Iowa will benefit from approximately 800 jobs and an estimated $40 million in annual economic impact if the Boeing NewGen Tanker is selected as the U.S. Air Force's next aerial refueling aircraft.
Rockwell Collins, based in Cedar Rapids and a Boeing first-tier supplier in Iowa, will provide the same advanced-flight-deck technology that is being supplied to the most advanced commercial airliner in existence – the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. In addition to the flight deck, Rockwell Collins also will provide Communication, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) software, aircraft networks and situational-awareness capability to support the tanker's mission.
"In keeping with my jobs strategy of attracting high-paying jobs with benefits to Iowa, I am very encouraged with Boeing's plan and will remain engaged in this process as we move closer to a better future for every hardworking Iowa family," said Governor Chet Culver.
"This project could have enormous impact on job creation in Iowa," said U.S. Congressman David Loebsack. "The aerial refueling fleet is the foundation of every mission undertaken by our men and women in uniform and is a critical component of our national security. Iowa workers are among the best in the country, and I am proud of the role that they play in providing our brave troops with the equipment and resources they need to complete their missions safely. I would be proud for the next-generation tankers to be built by highly skilled Iowan innovators."
Boeing currently works with 57 suppliers/vendors across Iowa, resulting in an estimated $459 million in annual economic impact.
The NewGen Tanker 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 February 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.
The Boeing NewGen Tanker also 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 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.
More information on Boeing's NewGen Tanker, including video clips and an interactive tour of the aircraft, is available at www.UnitedStatesTanker.com. For more information on joining the company's efforts, visit www.RealAmericanTankers.com.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $34 billion business with 68,000 employees worldwide.