At the AFL-CIO Now Blog there is a story about the ten presidents of the AFL-CIO state federations sending a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates endorsing giving the tanker contract to Boeing. The union heads state that this is not only in the best interests of U.S. national security but also as an industrial base issue.

One of the reasons the U.S. is where it is at with this contract is that there is only one domestic source for the aircraft, Boeing. The only other manufacturer that can be really considered is EADS. To achieve any level of competition they have to be included otherwise the U.S. should just go back to the sole source lease idea shot down in 2001 – 2003.

The United States Air Force is holding a competition to pick the new United States Tanker, a decision that will have a long-term effect on America’s national security and ability to project power around the world. When it comes to tankers, our nation’s warfighters deserve the best capabilities and taxpayers deserve the best value.

Boeing is looking forward to the competition. We believe that our rich legacy of tanker experience – which includes inventing and advancing boom refueling technology by delivering more than 2,000 tankers over six decades – gives us the edge in providing the U.S. Air Force with the most capable tanker for the best value.

We’ve created UnitedStatesTanker.com in order to speak directly to you about our plans, as well as provide updates on news as it happens. We hope to foster a transparent and lively dialogue about our next tanker that will educate everyone involved.

The new United States Tanker will make America’s military more capable and more efficient. UnitedStatesTanker.com is dedicated to that future. Welcome.