http://murray.senate.gov/tankers/index.cfm
http://www.house.gov/tiahrt/tanker_petition.htm
Subject: U.S. Air Force announcement on foreign aircraft purchase
Dear Family and Friends,
Well. Here we go again.
The U.S. Taxpayer is again going to subsidize a foreign government and way of life.
The U.S. Air Force in some stroke of genius has decided to procure a French/German designed and built commercial aircraft and convert it into an aerial refueling tanker.
I hope the officers responsible for this decision have looked forward into the future and have tallied up the true cost to you and I, the taxpayer, over the next 40 or 50 years. After all that's how long the current Air Force Tanker has been flying around, and I would fully expect the KC-45A to be lasting at least that long.
Did they take into consideration the cost in updates, repairs and redesigns that will go into these aircraft over the next 40 years. All being accomplished by French/German Aircraft Workers rather than in American Plants by American Workers.
Did they take into consideration that all the materials, sheet metal and stock sizes of parts, the fasteners, nuts, bolts and rivets are all foreign manufactured and are all metric sizes. Not in inches. That all the engineering drawings are in first angle projection, not third angle the way we draw in the United States. All the current Technical Manuals are in French or German. And must be translated into English. Is the Air Force planning on buying all new tool kits to be supplied to all the Air Bases that will be maintaining the KC-45A.
I hope they looked up the maintenance history of the KC-135 aircraft. And have come up with a dollar figure that was spent in the United States to maintain this fleet of aircraft over the past 45 years. And have come up with a dollar figure of how much we will be spending in France/Germany over the next 45 years to maintain the KC-45A. All dollars that should be spent here so it goes back in our pockets not theirs.
What a nation of short sited fools we are. Do we really believe Northrop-Grumman is building this airplane in Mobile, Alabama. Heck no, it is being built lock stock and barrel in France/Germany. Then flown to the United States. There to have a foreign designed and built refueling system added to the aircraft. Boy that's a lot of work for Mobile, Alabama.
I can't imagine what they are so excited about. Maybe the really think they are going to build an aircraft.
My complaint is not with the aircraft design chosen, my complaint is in subsidizing the French/German Aerospace Industry instead of the American Aerospace Industry with our money. I wish I could have had seven or eight weeks of government subsidized vacation or as the call it in Europe "ËœHolidays' each year. If the KC-45A aka A330 is such a great design and so superior to the converted 767 airframe, lets buy the design and license rights to build it in the United States.
We did with the English Electric "ËœCanberra' in the 1950's, and are still doing today with the Hawker (BAE) "ËœHarrier' (AV-8) and "ËœHawk' (T-45) Trainer. These designs were purchased outright. American workers were able to earn livable wages paid for with our taxes in the United States.
Shame on you Northrop-Grumman, you have basically sold your own nation down the river for whatever minor profit you are going to make selling Airbus Aircraft as if they were your own. What a shameful act by one of the oldest most respected Aircraft Corporations in the United States. Jack Northrop and Leroy Grumman are rolling over in their graves.
This is just one more act of stupidity proffered upon the American public that is planting the seeds of destruction of the American way of life.
Walter T. Koch
http://www.house.gov/tiahrt/tanker_petition.htm
Subject: U.S. Air Force announcement on foreign aircraft purchase
Dear Family and Friends,
Well. Here we go again.
The U.S. Taxpayer is again going to subsidize a foreign government and way of life.
The U.S. Air Force in some stroke of genius has decided to procure a French/German designed and built commercial aircraft and convert it into an aerial refueling tanker.
I hope the officers responsible for this decision have looked forward into the future and have tallied up the true cost to you and I, the taxpayer, over the next 40 or 50 years. After all that's how long the current Air Force Tanker has been flying around, and I would fully expect the KC-45A to be lasting at least that long.
Did they take into consideration the cost in updates, repairs and redesigns that will go into these aircraft over the next 40 years. All being accomplished by French/German Aircraft Workers rather than in American Plants by American Workers.
Did they take into consideration that all the materials, sheet metal and stock sizes of parts, the fasteners, nuts, bolts and rivets are all foreign manufactured and are all metric sizes. Not in inches. That all the engineering drawings are in first angle projection, not third angle the way we draw in the United States. All the current Technical Manuals are in French or German. And must be translated into English. Is the Air Force planning on buying all new tool kits to be supplied to all the Air Bases that will be maintaining the KC-45A.
I hope they looked up the maintenance history of the KC-135 aircraft. And have come up with a dollar figure that was spent in the United States to maintain this fleet of aircraft over the past 45 years. And have come up with a dollar figure of how much we will be spending in France/Germany over the next 45 years to maintain the KC-45A. All dollars that should be spent here so it goes back in our pockets not theirs.
What a nation of short sited fools we are. Do we really believe Northrop-Grumman is building this airplane in Mobile, Alabama. Heck no, it is being built lock stock and barrel in France/Germany. Then flown to the United States. There to have a foreign designed and built refueling system added to the aircraft. Boy that's a lot of work for Mobile, Alabama.
I can't imagine what they are so excited about. Maybe the really think they are going to build an aircraft.
My complaint is not with the aircraft design chosen, my complaint is in subsidizing the French/German Aerospace Industry instead of the American Aerospace Industry with our money. I wish I could have had seven or eight weeks of government subsidized vacation or as the call it in Europe "ËœHolidays' each year. If the KC-45A aka A330 is such a great design and so superior to the converted 767 airframe, lets buy the design and license rights to build it in the United States.
We did with the English Electric "ËœCanberra' in the 1950's, and are still doing today with the Hawker (BAE) "ËœHarrier' (AV-8) and "ËœHawk' (T-45) Trainer. These designs were purchased outright. American workers were able to earn livable wages paid for with our taxes in the United States.
Shame on you Northrop-Grumman, you have basically sold your own nation down the river for whatever minor profit you are going to make selling Airbus Aircraft as if they were your own. What a shameful act by one of the oldest most respected Aircraft Corporations in the United States. Jack Northrop and Leroy Grumman are rolling over in their graves.
This is just one more act of stupidity proffered upon the American public that is planting the seeds of destruction of the American way of life.
Walter T. Koch
