Arlington, VA – AIA President and CEO Eric Fanning released the following statement after the U.S. Air Force awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation a contract for the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase of the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) program:
“Behind our nation’s strategic national security capabilities are the men and women of the defense industry. The GBSD program awarded today, which will involve more than 10,000 defense industry employees across America, is no different.
Our employees are the crown jewel of our industry, bringing vast technical know-how, hundreds of years of cumulative knowledge, and remarkable ingenuity to bear in support of our nation’s defense. Binding all of this talent together is a solid commitment to the country’s safety and security.
Supporting the unparalleled capabilities of these employees is the world-class aerospace and defense supply chain, which is the lifeblood of our industry and the backbone of projects like GBSD. More than 300 U.S. companies at all levels of the supply chain, including hundreds of small businesses, will proudly serve as part of this project team. And with today’s announcement, they stand ready to move forward with the next phase of this important modernization.”
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