Whatever Happened To America Used To Support It's Own Defense Industry? ( Archived) (18)

Doesn't it make more sense to keep our defense technology in America and the manufacturing in America where it does the most for security, economically and etc?


Pentagon awards air tanker contract to EADS
By David Litterick
Last Updated: 12:39am GMT 04/03/2008



The Pentagon has come under heavy attack for putting "French jobs ahead of American jobs" following its decision to hand a $40bn (£20bn) air force contract to a European-backed consortium rather than US plane maker Boeing.

Cobham flies high on back of '$1bn boost'
News and analysis from the world's biggest defence companies
In a surprise announce-ment late on Friday, the Pentagon awarded a contract to build to build 179 air tankers - one of the largest defence contracts in history - to a consortium that includes Airbus.


Altitude slickness: an artist’s impression of a fighter jet refuelling from an A330 air tanker, built by a European consortium
Few analysts and defence experts had given Airbus - which is owned by EADS - much chance of winning. Boeing's existing links with the US military and political muscle in Washington had made it the clear frontrunner.

The move was a huge blow to Boeing and leading Democrat and Republican politicians pledged to pressure the government to reverse the decision.

"It's stunning to me that we would outsource the production of these airplanes to Europe instead of building them in America," said Republican senator Sam Brownback of Kansas, where Boeing has major operations. "I'll be calling upon the Secretary of Defence for a full debriefing."

The win by EADS has shocked the US political establishment because it will support thousands of jobs in Europe and in the UK, and generate billions of pounds worth of sales for European defence companies including Airbus and Cobham (see right).

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The wings for the tankers - a modified version of the A330 passenger jet - will be built at plants in Broughton and Filton, in the UK, securing around 9,000 jobs.

But Todd Tiahrt, a US congressman from Kansas, said the decision was unpatriotic. "We should have an American tanker built by an American company with American workers. I can't believe we would create French [and British] jobs in place of Kansas jobs."

He said he would seek a review of the decision "at the highest levels of the Pentagon" in the hope of reversing it.

Washington senator Patty Murray said she too would be pressuring the military to reconsider. "We are outraged that this decision taps European Airbus and its foreign workers to provide a tanker to our American military," she said. "At a time when our economy is hurting, this decision to outsource our tankers is a blow to the American aerospace industry, American workers and America's military."

Winning the initial 179-plane contract makes it more likely the EADS consortium will win contracts for the next stages of the programme, which are expected to see orders for as many as 500 planes and could be worth more than $100bn over time.

"Once we have reviewed the details behind the award, we will make a decision concerning our possible options," Boeing said.

It has 100 days to appeal. Boeing had won an earlier version of the air tanker contract but it was withdrawn after a series of procurement scandals. The Pentagon insisted that had nothing to do with its latest decision.

The contract is sure to become a major election campaign issue, with Democrats likely to seize on it as a reason why America should adopt more protectionist positions.

Boeing and the EADS-Northrop team had been competing for more than a year for the contract.

Go to to vote against the outsourcing of US defense contracts. It not only undermines our technology but takes jobs away from our already hurting income.


You want to see more of how our defense contracts are hurting the american people look at this...

THEN............


Look back at the history of these corporations and who were involved...start with the Carlyle group before you go to Haliburton.

Then ask yourself if our government wre not in direct "CONFLICT OF INTEREST"...deep deeper too!

As my quite intelligent dead brother used to frequently say, "Follow the money." This is a job reporters with brass balls or anyone else who is not afraid to push far enough to find out who's getting the money.

It's always the money.

EADS uses just as many foriegn parts as does Boeing. There are no completely "American" companies. Do the research on these contractors and you will see that all are working with foreign parts.

I listened to Sen Shelby from Alabama speak about this issue. He is a right wing and pro American as you can get. He even supports the contracts with EADS

Well..yeah...We have to follow the money to see the good and the bad. This is not good though. Defense contracts in America have been for the most part American made. American made means=jobs. It equals=security.


Then you see crap like this..





Just look at the "Carlyle Group", "Haliburton", the history of who is involved in these corportaions and then ask yourself if our government isn't acing on a "Conflict of interests" as far as the leader goes.

If there is anything the bible wasn't more correct in is that it says.."Money Is The Root Of ALL Evil"!

Im WW2 our economy was made strong by Americans being employed making our own defense products. Not that making war should be an excuse to boost the economy like Vietnam was but if we are engaged then who better than American citizens employed to make the products that are needed. Why would you outsource technology is another question.


I hear this and that about Reagan. That was the start of all this crap! He sold us out!