“I am extremely happy today for the workers at Boeing who will build the next generation of air refueling tankers for the United States Air Force. The selection of the Boeing 767 as the platform for our new tankers will give U.S. pilots the finest, most capable aircraft in order to sustain our country’s unique ability to project power and defend our national security interests around the world. Deputy Secretary of Defense Bill Lynn told me this afternoon that the Boeing bid was the clear winner in this competition, and that the Defense Department was now prepared to move rapidly to begin the replacement of our Eisenhower-era fleet of Boeing-built KC-135 tankers.   This contract award will add new life to the 767 production line in Everett, Wash, and it will be directly responsible for 11,000 Boeing jobs. After working on this program for nearly 10 years, I am delighted that we are now moving forward with the urgently-needed upgrade of our tanker fleet.”