With an agreement in place to explore US military tanking opportunities, Airbus and Lockheed Martin senior executive leaders met during the 2019 Paris Air Show.
The Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (A330 MRTT) provided the perfect backdrop for the meeting with Alberto Gutierrez, Head of Military Aircraft, Airbus Defence and Space; Michele Evans, Executive Vice President of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, and Dirk Hoke, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space all present to discuss the tanker project.
Michele Evans, Executive Vice President for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, said: “Since signing our Memorandum of Agreement with Airbus last December, our teams have been working to expand our business relationship with a focus on providing the U.S. Air Force with the very best capability in aerial refuelling.
“We believe with Airbus’ and Lockheed Martin’s expertise in air refuelling and innovative, combat-tested technologies such as low observability and networking operations, we make a powerful team to address the US Air Force’s tanker needs today and into the future.”
Dirk Hoke, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, echoed Ms Evans’ comments and was confident the project would be able to meet the demands of the US DoD. He said: “The relationship with Lockheed Martin through this exciting project is growing day by day, and we’re looking forward to presenting our offer to the U.S. military in the near future. Our A330MRTT has been refuelling US military aircraft on combat missions since 2014, and together with Lockheed Martin’s proven record serving the U.S. Air Force we truly believe we can offer unbeatable capabilities.”
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