MELBOURNE, Fla., May 19 FL-Northrop-aircraft
MELBOURNE, Fla., May 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The second aircraft that
Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has designated for the U.S. Air Force
KC-45 Tanker program completed its final check flight May 15, illustrating the
rapid production capability that will allow Northrop Grumman to quickly
replace the aging KC-135 Tanker fleet.
Photos accompanying this release are available at:
http://media.primezone.com/noc/
"The Northrop Grumman KC-45 Tanker team is ready now -- and having two
aircraft set for modification reinforces our commitment to the Air Force,"
said Paul Meyer, vice president of Air Mobility Systems for Northrop Grumman.
"Our nation's airmen have needed new tankers for nearly a decade now. We
cannot afford to delay this replacement program any longer."
This aircraft, designated SDD-2, follows the first KC-45 Tanker airframe
(SDD-1), which was completed in July 2007 and performed its maiden flight
Sept. 25, 2007. Both SDD-1 and SDD-2 will be outfitted with in-flight
refueling systems and additional military-specific equipment.
"We now have the first two KC-45 airframes complete, and we're ready to
get to work as soon as the stop work order is lifted," Meyer said. "While
other companies continue to move manufacturing off shore, our approach
reverses that trend, creates 48,000 aerospace jobs in the United States and
brings an enormous amount of work share into the country."
Northrop Grumman's KC-45 is based on the Royal Australian Air Force's
KC-30B Multi-role Tanker, which is on schedule for delivery in early 2009.
The United States is the fifth straight country to select the A330-based
tanker for its Air Force.
About the KC-45
The KC-45 Tanker aircraft will be assembled in Mobile, Ala., and the KC-45
team will employ 48,000 American workers at 230 U.S. companies in 49 states.
It will be built by a world-class industrial team led by Northrop Grumman, and
includes EADS North America, General Electric Aviation, Sargent Fletcher,
Honeywell, Parker, AAR Cargo and Telephonics.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a global defense and technology company
whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in
information and services, electronics, aerospace and shipbuilding to
government and commercial customers worldwide.
SOURCE Northrop Grumman Corporation
