Northrop Grumman,
LOS ANGELES: Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) announced today that it will compete as the prime contractor for the U.S. Air Force's next-generation air refueling tanker.
Northrop Grumman's KC-30 tanker will be tailored to meet the Air Force requirements and provide a robust mission-enabling capability that is expected to create greater than a thousand jobs for Americans. The U.S. content of the KC-30 program will exceed 50 percent, further expanding the U.S. industrial base in modern wide-body aircraft.
As the prime contractor, Northrop Grumman will include EADS as a principal subcontractor and teammate. EADS North America recently announced its U.S. assembly site in Mobile, Ala., for the advanced refueling airframe based on the successful A330 commercial aircraft currently in production. In recent global competitions, EADS has been selected to provide military tankers for the United Kingdom and Australia.
“We have carefully analyzed the competitive landscape and the expected requirements for the Air Force's program of record, and believe that the KC-30 will offer enhanced capabilities to the warfighter in range, fuel capacity and mission flexibility,” said Scott Seymour, president of Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems sector. “We've heard both Congress and the Air Force stress the need for a competition and we are prepared to address that need by forming a strong industry team based on demonstrated capability, performance, management and affordability.”
Northrop Grumman brings a long history of developing advanced aircraft technology, integrating large complex systems and converting commercial aircraft for military missions. Northrop Grumman is a recognized industry leader in systems integration with a proven record as the prime contractor for the B-2 Stealth Bomber, the E-8C Joint STARS advanced ground surveillance and battle management system and on the E-10A aircraft weapon-systems integration program.
Northrop Grumman will conduct a media briefing on the tanker replacement program at 2:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 12 at the Air Force Association Air & Space Conference. The briefing will be held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, 2660 Woodley Park Road, NW, Washington, D.C. (Metro Red Line – Woodley Park station).
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a global defense company headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif. Northrop Grumman provides a broad array of technologically advanced, innovative products, services and solutions in systems integration, defense electronics, information technology, advanced aircraft, shipbuilding, and space technology. The company has more than 125,000 employees and operates in all 50 states and 25 countries and serves U.S. and international military, government and commercial customers.
