EADS North American lausunto Yhdysvaltain ilmavoimien tankkauskonevalinnasta
EADS North American toimihenkilöt ilmaisivat pettymyksensä ja huolensa Yhdysvaltain ilmavoimien tekemästä päätöksestä tilata riskialtis konseptilentokone käytössä jo suorituskykynsä osoittaneen KC-45-tankkauskoneen sijasta. Jos KC-45 olisi valittu, koneet olisi valmistettu Mobilessa, Alabamassa. Yhdysvaltalaisten toimittajien lukumäärä olisi noussut miltei tuhanteen.
”On tärkeää muistaa, että tämä on vain yksi monista EADS:n mahdollisuuksista Yhdysvalloissa. Olemme oppineet prosessin aikana paljon ja kehittäneet Yhdysvaltain organisaation huippuunsa”, EADS North American toimitusjohtaja Sean O’Keefe sanoo.
Lisätietoja KC-45-tankkauskoneesta ja sen vaikutuksista Yhdysvaltain työllisyyteen www.kc-45now.com.
Alkuperäinen tiedote kokonaisuudessaan alla:
EADS North America statement concerning U.S. Air Force Tanker selection
Arlington, USA, 24 February 2011 – EADS North America officials today expressed disappointment and concern over the announcement by the U.S. Air Force that it had selected a high-risk, concept aircraft over the proven, more capable KC-45 for US´ next aerial refueling tanker.
“This is certainly a disappointing turn of events, and we look forward to discussing with the Air Force how it arrived at this conclusion,” said EADS North America Chairman Ralph D. Crosby, Jr. “For seven years our goal has been to provide the greatest capability to our U.S. men and women in uniform, and to create American jobs by building the KC-45 here in the U.S. We remain committed to those objectives.”
If selected, EADS North America had committed to build the KC-45 at a new final assembly line in Mobile, Alabama, with a U.S. supplier base of nearly a thousand American companies. “With a program of such complexity, our review of today’s decision will take some time,” Crosby said. “There are more than 48,000 Americans who are eager to build the KC-45 in the U.S., and we owe it to them to conduct a thorough analysis.”
“Though we had hoped for a different outcome, it’s important to remember that this is one business opportunity among many for EADS in the United States,” said Sean O’Keefe, CEO of EADS North America. “We have exceptional technology and highly capable platforms that will be invaluable to U.S. military forces, now and in the future. We have learned much through this process, developed a world-class organization in the U.S. and have earned the respect of the Department of Defense. Our commitment to our U.S. customers is stronger than ever.”
To learn more about the KC-45 and the more than 48,000 American jobs it will create or support, visit www.kc-45now.com.
Contacts:
Guy Hicks +1 571 480 7698
Pierre Bayle +33 1 42 24 20 63
Alexander Reinhardt +49 171 765 0320
www.eadsnorthamerica.com
www.eads.com
About EADS North America
EADS North America is the North American operation of EADS, a global leader in aerospace, defense and related services. As a leader in all sectors of defense and homeland security, EADS North America and its parent company, EADS, contribute over $11 billion to the U.S. economy annually and support more than 200,000 American jobs through its network of suppliers and services. Operating in 17 states, EADS North America offers a broad array of advanced solutions to its customers in the commercial, homeland security, aerospace and defense markets.
About EADS
EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defense and related services. In 2009, the Group - comprising Airbus, Astrium, Cassidian and Eurocopter – generated revenues of € 42.8 billion and employed a workforce of more than 119,000.