Boeing

The United Kingdom government's selection of the Boeing C-17 for its strategic airlift requirement and the Meteor air-to-air missile system for its fleet of Eurofighters builds upon the strong relationship between Britain and Boeing, a Boeing executive said today.

"We are very gratified by the decisions made by the U.K. government for its airlift capability and its long-range air-to-air missile requirements," said Jerry Daniels, president of Boeing Military Aircraft and Missile Systems. "The United Kingdom is a strategically important marketplace for The Boeing Company, and we are committed to providing the highest quality solutions for our customers and to continuing our strong relationships with U.K. industry."

The U.K. Ministry of Defense announced its intention to lease four C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft for the Royal Air Force, beginning in 2001. Maintenance support and aircraft training initially will be handled by the U.S. Air Force and Boeing.

"The C-17 provides a unique set of capabilities that no other airlifter can match. I am very proud of the efforts of the government-industry integrated product team approach that allowed us to put together a cost-effective solution for our RAF customer," Daniels said. "This integrated effort is based on the strong working relationships that have been developed among the Ministry of Defense, the RAF, the U.K. aerospace industry, and also our U.S. Air Force customer."

Boeing is the U.S. member of the Meteor missile team, which is led by the Anglo-French joint venture, Matra BAe Dynamics. Meteor is a ramjet-powered missile with advanced seeker technology that can fly at sustained high speeds, over long ranges and with great agility to defeat airborne threats.

"We look forward to strengthening our trans-Atlantic ties by being an important contributor to the Meteor program for the U.K. and other customers," Daniels said.

Boeing ties with the U.K. aerospace market go back more than 40 years. Boeing currently does business with more than 225 U.K. companies and accounts for more than 40,000 U.K. jobs on an annual basis. Boeing is Britain's third-largest export market, behind only the countries of the United States and Saudi Arabia.

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