Tanker Truths

23 Apr 2008
Northrop Grumman KC-45 Is a Win for American Workers
Today's Tallahassee Democrat writes that lawmakers and residents of South Florida gathered yesterday at Tallahassee's City Hall to "speak out against the loss of about 1,000 state jobs to European defense contractor EADS."

The newspaper repeats other false statements by those who oppose Northrop Grumman's win of a contract to build America's next generation of aerial refueling tankers, including the erroneous assertion that "EADS, a European firm which manufactures the Airbus, beat out Boeing" for the contract.

The fact is, no jobs are being sent overseas. The contract won by Los Angeles-based Northrop Grumman will support 48,000 jobs nationwide, split between Northrop Grumman and 230 suppliers in 49 states. In Florida, the contract means 1,576 direct and indirect jobs, and nearly $98 million in economic impact.

What's more, the Everett, Washington Herald has surveyed aerospace workers in the Pacific Northwest around Boeing's former Seattle headquarters and found that Boeing's contract loss will result in negligible job impact. That's consistent with what Boeing officials in Wichita, Kansas told the Wichita Eagle, which reported on March 20 that "Boeing Wichita has no plans to reduce its work force following the company's loss of an Air Force tanker contract."

Either way, the simple fact remains — the Northrop Grumman KC-45 is a win for American workers.

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