how_many_where?

In Defense of Northrup-Grumman's USAF Contract Win

From the French Thomson Financial:

According to EADS, the Mobile plant will employ 1,000 workers to produce the airframe of the A330 MRTT (Multi Role Tanker Transport) plane, designated by the USAF as the KC-45A.

Final assembly will employ a further 300.

The main parts of the Aircraft, including the wings, will be made in existing plants in Europe.

In Defense of Northrup-Grumman's USAF Contract Win

The author failed to note that the smaller 767 was based on the original requirement by the USAF and the ability of the plane to fit in existing infrastructure. I wonder how much will be spent rebuilding or creating new infrastructure to maintain the Airbus plane. Cost is an important factor but remember EADS is already under scrutiny for accepting government subsidies that helps the European company under bid the competition. They have also shown a history of heavily overrunning cost and schedule on their new A380. EADS said that they are very interested in getting some of the non-commecial U.S. military business...how do you think they proposed their cost; realistically high or low? Let's be honest...The majority of the manufacturing for this aircraft will be done in Europe, by a parent company that told us we could not fly over their airspace during the war. From a national security perspective, this does not seem like a good decision. I wonder how many C17's the French have puchased from the U.S.?