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Air Force Tanker: Do you agree with the Air Force's decision to buy a plane largely built by a French based company for the new KC-45 tanker?
Comment: None of our military goods should be outsourced to other countries. from Milton, FL by JoAnn
Comment: Airbus has proven it's reliability over the years. In the airline industry it is much more reliable than boeing and douglas aircraft.
It is a shame that American aircraft mfg have dwindled down to 1. If Lockheed was still in the game I would have gone with them.
As a snowbirder, I love AL and am happy to see that Mobile will get a boost to it's technology base.
I was in the aviation/airline industry for 40 yrs. I know what aircraft were reliable and which ones weren't. The USAF made the right choice for a reliable tanker aircraft. from augusta, ME by diana
Comment: My husband and I think that giving the contract to the French based company is 'UNAMERICAN'. Shame on them. With as many Americans being out of work and our economy hurting...'shame on them' for doing this. Also, with all the security devises probably being installed on the new aircraft...again..shame on them for awarding the contract to outsiders and especially to France based company. What has France ever done for us latily? by georgia
Comment: Its wrong to buy the largly French Aircraft. It may bring 5000 jobs here, but overall the US willlose approx 45k jobs from Crestview, FL by William
Comment: No one should be so naive as to think that you could ever eliminate all politics from this kind of decision. But politics aside the task was to select the safest most mission capable aircraft, and that is what they did. 2/3 of the selection staff was X Boeing, and they still did the right thing and selected the best aircraft. There will always be talking heads around to second guess ANY decision. The professionals tasked to accomplish this have made their choice, I say, LET IT STAND. from Gulf Shores / AL by Mike
Comment: What does it matter who
builds the tanker? Even the
US. can't afford to fill it
at today's prices. from Pensacola, Florida by Robin
Comment: I worked with a Navy Contract for several years and saw the intensity of the process locally and in Philadelphia. Boeing had the same opportunity that Northrop had to get the contract. The process is not totally flawless, but it does work well. We have multi-million dollar contracts in the Pensacola area that have gone through the same process. Contracts are not always awarded to the lowest bidder, but the company that can show the ability to fulfil the contract. Boeing may have neglected an important clause and concentrated on what they thought was a stronger point. Yes, I would prefer the contract be awarded to an American company, but providing American jobs is equally important. from Milton, FL by Kay
Comment: After all the rubish we have put up with in the past, the French should not have even been considered for this contract. from New Lebanon, Ohio by Ed
Comment: Absolutely Its about time that economic consderations overshadow Political ones. The bidding was apparently fair and done above board. Boeing has had a free riode for too long - let them earn the right to a contract not given one because they have an inside track. Bravo for the USAF did its job right. from Pensacola Florida by Jon
Comment: American jobs should go to Americans. Our economy is a mess, how many billions more do we need to send to nations that are against everything we try to do to help others? Let's go back to George Washington's warning to not go and mind other nations business, stay home and take care of our own business. from Pace, FL by Ray
Comment: Defense contracts should be with U S companies aand not with forign Co with over 90% parts with U S co. keep all the jobs in the U S from Ft Walton Bch by Edward
Comment: as long as the usaf chose the best aircraft for the job and $-it matters only to the troops-its not a job program from navarre fl by bob
Comment: THE AIRFORCE DID THE RIGHT THING....I TOO WANT MY TAX DOLLARS SPENT CORRECTLY AND GET THE MOST FOR MY MONEY SPENT. from pensacola/ Fl by Tim
Comment: With our economy in a deep depression and gas prices outrageous it is hard to believe that the U.S. Air Force would think giving away our jobs and our money is O.K.
Especially since France has never supported our Country in anything of a military nature. Shame on them, and shame on Alabama for not letting America know the truth about selling us out. from Pensacola by James
Comment: On the surface, I do not agree with the Air Force decision to outsource to EADS.
However, not knowing the entire scope of the proposal, I really hate "second guessing". I'm rather looking forward to the next round of "Monday morning quarterbacking--courtesy of the U.S.Congress". Why is it that they never seem to act until after a decision has been made? from Mary Esther,FL. by Tom
Comment: funny how american companies that are supposed to be the pinnacle of free trade and competition has to have lobbyists and bribes to government officials to ensure its survival in the aeronautical and arms race...reminds me of the crappy, fairly expensive, cars and trucks domestic manufactors feed to it enclosed customers here until foreign competition came in and forced them to build better products...as i remember, dodge/chrysler/jeep would not be in existance if it was not for the government buyout! from p'cola by h
Comment: We all want more jobs in the US but not if we get an inferior product. We want the best our money can buy, even if that requires giving up some jobs. from Pensacola, FL by Pat
Comment: The Air Force is getting the most for its money with this contract. Boeing is over a year late on deliveries of its tanker version to Japan and other countries. Plus, Boeing needs to learn not to cheat. from Niceville, FL by Sam
Comment: Good deal,good for jobs,oh and american made from Pensacola,Florida by Patrick
Comment: I think the Air Force has every right to pick who they want to build there planes , and keep the politicans out of it , they are the ones that fly them not the politicans . from Pensacola ,FL. by Robert
Comment: It is a slap in the face of all Americans for the Air Force to award the airborne tanker contract to Northrup-Grumman/EADS (NGE) instead of Boeing. A large portion of the money from that contract will go to France, a country that has little or no use for the United States. Boeing has been building airborne tankers for about 50 years. NGE has no experience in building tankers.
from Pensacola, FL by "Reef"
Comment: no more outsourcing of anything that we can do in this country from pensacola fl by james
Comment: First it is an English and French company. Second-Northrop-Grumman is an American Company. Third The majority of jobs associated with this build is in the United States. Fourth-we have done this before on a number of levels but in the military aviation world the AV-8 Harrier and the T-45 Goshawk are based on English production planes contracted out to the USA. Finally has every one forgot that Boeing had the contract sewed up a few years ago for this refueling platform but through some underhanded dealings between an Air Force General and Boeing they were caught over charging the U.S. taxpayer by billions of dollars so their contract was pulled annd people went to jail for this complettely illegal contract process.
Now I believe the contract needs to be evaluated to be fair and completely above board, so let the process continue. Now I believe some of the congressman in D.C. are winey babies that are in the pockets of some Boeing Lobbyists. They cry foul to hard. from Elberta, AL by David
Comment: Way too much national significance to farm this one out to a foreign government owned company ! from Orange Beach by Joe
Comment: The reason why Our Air Forces" planes are aging is the red tapes involved with our political leaders dragging the process to a verrrrry slooooooooooow craaaaaawl. An approved aircraft could not be built at the pace in which it will be useful once put in service because of what is going on now. Back end result of this is we are not getting our money's worth. Imagine getting a 1998 model car for the price of a 2008 model. Last time I looked, Northrop Grumman is America's most trusted company. It is the largest military shipbuilder and the second largest defense contractor. They wouldn't have that reputation if they are not trustworthy like Boeing, who will break the laws of the land to land this contract. from Milton, Fl by Abe
Comment: I'm a Christian, Patriot and Retired Army MSG and I belive the decision is horrific. The jobs would be great but money isn't everything. America has given up enough with NAFTA and GATT. Where is our patriotism? from Loxley, AL by Anthony
Comment: The French do nothing to help our flailing economy, why should we spend billions on them and loose jobs and money here. from Cantonment by Bob
Comment: I'm unfamiliar with the details of the criteria - and I'm also aware that some portion of the work would go overseas if Boeing was selected. Nevertheless, I can't fathom the decision to have EADS chosen over Boeing for the airframe. While EADS, heavily subsidized by the German, French, and British governments are finally making a fine airplane, the U.S. cannot afford to abandon its only airframe manufacturer.
At the very least, Boeing should have the opportunity to respond to the USAF regarding the issues found with their proposal. I have managed large commercial RFPs and know their values and their faults.
Looking at the contract award solely from a Gulf Coast perspective is seeing the trees and not the forest. from Pensacola, FL by Rick
Comment: Everyone I hear complains about moving our jobs overseas. Yes, it will cost thirty-percent more to build the same aircraft here in the U.S., but it will build the economy. Will we move American laborers to France to build this aircraft? I don't think so. That's my opinion. from Pace, FL by Mike
Comment: The majority of cars on the road are foreign made, 99.9% of all electronics are foreign made, the new helicopter for the President is foreign made so what is worng with the new tanker being foreign made? from Pensacola, FL by Allen
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