You mean Airbus already has a plant in Alabama producing tankers? That’s news to me. The tooling for a tanker is vastly different than for a passenger airplane. Trust me on this, I know what I am talking about here. Also, Japan is actually using one of OUR tankers.
The basic components use the same basic jigs and fixtures and yeah, there are lots of differences; areas are strengthened, systems are added etc, but its a version of the existing A 330 airplane (500 in service) and its performance is very predictable.
And this version (A 330 MRTT) has been flying for several months now.
It is already built and flying.
Whatever 'tooling' required already exists.
Italy was the launch customer for the KC-767 in 2002. Japan signed up in 2003 and just got the first one, and it's over a year late and Boeing has agreed to pay a penalty for late delivery. The remaining 3 aircraft are to be delivered in '08, '09, and 2010. I don't know when Italy gets their 4 tankers.
Great Britain, Australia, UAE and Saudi Arabia have already chosen the 330 MRTT (over the KC-767). So did the USAF.
I think they SHOULD build the plant in Sweet Home so that American citizens will be employed building America's new military tanker/freighter/transport/medevac aircraft on American soil with American management by American labor.