Historical report, published from archived WKRG coverage.
In February 2008, Mobile was awaiting the Air Force’s decision in a major aerial-refueling tanker competition involving Boeing and a Northrop Grumman/EADS team, according to an archived WKRG report.
The Northrop-EADS proposal centered on the KC-30 tanker. WKRG reported that a win could bring more than 1,000 high-tech jobs and an aerospace contract valued at about $40 billion to Mobile. Boeing’s competing entry was the KC-767.
Mayor Sam Jones told the station that a Mobile selection would be a tremendous day for the community, but said the city remained committed to aircraft manufacturing even if the decision went another way. The report said both sides had indicated they could protest a loss, a process that could take as long as a year.
This reflects the situation before the decision was announced and does not describe the contract’s later history.