To Deliver a Winning Tanker, Boeing Draws on a Legacy of Aerial Refueling Innovation and Its Experience Across Commercial and De
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Best in class To deliver a winning tanker, Boeing draws on a legacy of aerial refueling innovation and its experience across commercial and defense programs— and the skill and commitment of its employees by Dan Beck t’s just another day for a fleet of tankers tankers that have now served for more older than most of the men and women than four decades. This team of engineers, Iflying them. technicians, analysts, accountants and aerial Around the globe, U.S. Air Force flight refueling experts are putting the finishing crews are flying refueling sorties in aging touches on Boeing’s proposal to offer its Boeing-built KC-135 tankers. Ground NewGen Tanker to help the U.S. Air Force crews at remote airfields work around the meet its aerial tanker needs and address the clock to keep them flying on essential evolving threats of the next four decades. missions, bringing fuel to the fight and “We have responded to the Air Force’s supporting freedom in every part of the new focus and needs by bringing together world. Altogether this day, as on every the best possible proposal team from both day, they will pump nearly 3 million pounds the defense and commercial airplane busi- (440,000 gallons, or 1.7 million liters) of fuel nesses of Boeing,” said Dennis Muilenburg, to thirsty fighters, bombers, airlifters and president and CEO of Boeing Defense, other aircraft. That’s more than 1 billion Space & Security. “The NewGen Tanker pounds (146 million gallons, or 550 million team is drawing on thousands of years of liters) of fuel a year. employee experience in aircraft design, Meanwhile, across Boeing, a team of manufacturing, supply-chain management, employees is focused on replacing those cost accounting and program support, PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: An artist’s rendering of the Boeing NewGen Tanker. BOEING 20 BOEING FRONTIERS / COVER STORY BOEING FRONTIERS / MAY 2010 “We’re partnering across the company as one team to produce the best tanker offering and help Boeing deliver a winning proposal.” – Dennis V. Egan, 767-2CX deputy program manager, Boeing Commercial Airplanes PHOTO: GAIL HANUSA/BOEING “By offering a tanker that meets all technical requirements at the lowest price and risk, we’ll delight our customer.” – Rick Lemaster, KC-X Proposal program manager, Boeing Defense, Space & Security PHOTO: RICHARD RAU/BOEING as well as an invaluable resource of first- extended by the Air Force by 60 days, to hand, front-line service with the Air Force.” July 9, to allow EADS, the parent of Airbus, The proposal team knows it must hold to bid on the tanker contract. EADS has down costs, both for the development said it will offer a tanker based on the and production of these aircraft and for Airbus A330 commercial jetliner. Air Force supporting them over the next half-century. officials have said they plan to award a con- “Our Boeing team and our suppliers tract for an initial 179 tankers later this year. have been finding innovative ways to bring With the NewGen Tanker, Boeing down cost to ensure the best price for believes it has the right solution for the taxpayer,” said Jean Chamberlin, vice the customer. president and general manager of Boeing’s An aerial refueling tanker is essential to U.S. Air Force Tanker Program. “Our offer- today’s military. Not only are tankers used ing builds on our past success across all to support U.S. missions around the globe of Boeing to bring the best value and low- by refueling other military aircraft, but they est possible price for our derivative aircraft also play a significant role in allowing allied programs, fighters, airlifters and rotorcraft. coalitions to meet threats. At the same We know that we have to earn the honor of time, they must perform multiple missions building these tankers.” beyond refueling—including transporting The deadline to submit bids was cargo and passengers to and from remote BOEING FRONTIERS / COVER STORY BOEING FRONTIERS / MAY 2010 21 airfields, as well as carrying patients. will do so at the lowest risk to the customer A similar in-line method is used in Renton, The fuel that enables air warriors to and at the best value to the American people. Wash., to manufacture the U.S. Navy’s complete their missions has to be where “Taxpayers are entitled to the best P-8A Poseidon, a maritime patrol aircraft they need it, when they need it. That means value—and to saving every dime in both that is a military derivative of Boeing’s tankers often are close to the fight—and the short and long term—on every govern- 737-800 commercial jet. must be survivable and combat-ready. ment contract,” Muilenburg pointed out. “The in-line production system allows “After six decades of building tankers “The tanker program should be no excep- us to provide a truly integrated approach for the warfighter, Boeing knows how to tion. The Boeing NewGen tanker meets or for the customer,” said Elizabeth Lund, get them close to the fight, protect them exceeds all of the requirements and has vice president and general manager, in combat and get them safely home,” significant operational advantages at lower 767 program. “We’re really building on the Chamberlin said. “The Boeing NewGen costs than a larger aircraft.” lessons learned in the past on how to bring Tanker incorporates lessons learned from As a medium-size tanker, based on the 10X and Lean+ practices to this effort. real-world scenarios in action around the 767 commercial jet, the NewGen tanker will We believe this provides us with a real world. It is equipped with multiple layers of require fewer costly investments in existing advantage in the competition.” protection for the aircraft and their crews, bases to accommodate it than a larger From Everett, the NewGen Tanker will including countermeasures, situational plane would. It can be easily integrated into be flown to Wichita, Kan., to be finished by awareness, covert lighting, threat avoid- those bases, providing the Air Force more Boeing teams there. ance, component hardening, redundancy flexibility, agility and responsiveness for Senior Air Force leaders have been clear and location, fuel-tank protection, and missions. And because of its size, the in their public statements that regardless of aircrew protection.” NewGen tanker will be more fuel-efficient who wins the KC-X contract, they want a Rick Lemaster leads Boeing’s proposal than a heavier aircraft. new tanker to meet multiple missions—and team. Boeing understands and accepts Boeing has been building military deriva- they need it soon. the Air Force’s requirements for its next- tives of commercial aircraft for more than “We could rest on Boeing’s past reputa- generation tanker, he said. “We listened a half-century—from tankers to Air Force tion for building the current U.S. tanker fleet and drew on the experience of generations One. The NewGen Tanker represents the and inventing boom technology, but we of tanker pilots and operators. We put culmination of that experience. know that is not enough,” said Chamberlin. to work the best of Boeing’s military and “The proven Boeing military-derivative “While we have demonstrated Boeing’s commercial designers, engineers and capability of this team ensures low risk ability to design, build, produce and main- managers on crafting a proposal that meets because we have shown over four tain a large tanker fleet that will last for many the service’s requirements, the end-users’ decades that we know how to design decades, the future will confirm—if we are desires and the acquisition community’s and modify commercial aircraft for military granted the honor and privilege of building fiscal safeguards.” applications,” Lemaster said. “And in the these tankers—that Boeing can execute on The result: the Boeing NewGen Tanker. It warfighting business, this kind of depend- our promises and provide a combat-ready, is a multi-role tanker distinguished by 21st- ability is non-negotiable.” multi-role tanker on Day One.” century technology, such as an advanced The NewGen Tanker will be built using Boeing Commercial Airplanes President flight deck that was developed for the new proven commercial aircraft manufacturing and CEO Jim Albaugh, who has experience 787 Dreamliner. Not only will the NewGen methods on an assembly line in Everett, leading tanker teams from both the defense Tanker meet all 372 mandatory Air Force Wash., one that uses Lean+ techniques and commercial sides of the company, requirements, according to Lemaster, but it and is compliant with U.S. export controls. believes there is one other thing that distin- “I work with a great group of dedicated people who are committed to winning this program—and who are able to adjust to change while remaining focused on our customer’s needs.” – Joyce Martin, senior manager, Finance, St. Louis PHOTO: RICHARD RAU/BOEING “We have to be a cohesive team to succeed, and we need to focus on understanding the military customer’s needs. That’s key.” – Constantine (Dino) MacRis, 767 compliance coordinator, Everett, Wash. PHOTO: GAIL HANUSA/BOEING 22 BOEING FRONTIERS / MAY 2010 BOEING FRONTIERS / COVER STORY guishes this Boeing NewGen Tanker team: “Our employees and suppliers are key to delivering the fuel to the fight for service- men and servicewomen,” he said. “It is that investment, from the heart of everyone who will touch these planes, that will make it the greatest tanker in history.” n [email protected] PHOTO: At the Wichita, Kan., site, Boeing employees Jack Reid (left) and Mike Greer work on a 767 international tanker for Italy. BOB FERGUSON/BOEING BOEING FRONTIERS / MAY 2010 BOEING FRONTIERS / COVER STORY 23 programmed depot maintenance every Oklahoma City provide design updates.