EADS North America and AAR Cargo Systems today celebrated the opportunity to create local jobs and contribute vital capabilities to the KC-45 aerial refueling tanker, the only airplane offered in the U.S. Air Force tanker competition that is in production and flying today. If selected by the Air Force, U.S. production of the KC-45 would support 1,500 North Carolina workers, part of the 48,000 Americans who will produce this important system for the U.S. warfighter.

North Carolina-based companies like AAR will be among more than 200 American companies offering to build the KC-45 across America. Nationwide, assembly of the EADS North America KC-45 tanker will create or support 48,000 jobs.

"The KC-45 is the most technologically advanced tanker flying today. We are very proud that our tanker would support U.S. men and women in uniform around the globe, while also putting 48,000 Americans to work here at home," said Ralph Crosby, EADS North America Chairman. "AAR is a first-class aerospace company, and its contribution to the KC-45 would help make it the world's most capable tanker," Crosby said.

"AAR's cargo systems have been supporting commercial, military and humanitarian relief operations for more than 40 years and we're looking forward to contributing to the success of the KC-45 program as a member of the EADS North America team," said Vincent Misciagna, Vice President and General Manager, AAR Cargo Systems "AAR delivers design innovation, engineering and technical precision, performance reliability and efficient cost containment that span the life-cycle of an aircraft. The KC-45 program is a natural extension of AAR's work over last several years on world class military aircraft like Airbus' A400M."

EADS North America will build the KC-45 tanker, based on the commercially successful A330, in Mobile, Ala. The company also will build A330 commercial freighters at the same production center. The addition of freighter manufacturing will significantly increase total U.S. aircraft production, with an associated increase in American jobs.