Defense One Alert May 10, 2022

Defense One Alert

Lockheed Secretly Worked to Block Airbus' Influence in Washington—While Teaming on Major Pentagon Bid
By Marcus Weisgerber

Under a party tent at an airport in Mobile, Alabama, the CEO of Lockheed Martin grinned as he shook hands with the head of Airbus’s defense and space business unit. It was late January, and Lockheed’s Jim Taiclet was welcoming Airbus’ Michael Schoellhorn, who had flown in from Europe to help announce a proposal to jointly build aerial refueling tankers at an Airbus plant in the Port City. The campaign-style rally was meant to stir up political support for their bid against Boeing to make the next batch of U.S. Air Force tankers; it had drawn Alabama’s governor, members of the state’s congressional delegation, and state and local officials, all excited by the prospect of hundreds of new jobs. But back in Washington, Lockheed was quietly trying to block Airbus’ latest application to join the Aerospace Industries Association, an influential trade group that represents hundreds of mostly American companies ranging from multibillion-dollar manufacturers of fighter jets to tiny mom-and-pop suppliers. Read more »
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