Lockheed selects Alabama and Georgia for next-gen air tanker plants

FILE PHOTO: Lockheed Martin's logo is seen during Japan Aerospace 2016 air show in Tokyo, Japan, October 12, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Lockheed Martin announced on Monday that a future Air Force mid-air refueling tanker would be made in Alabama and Georgia, potentially creating 1,300 new jobs between the two sites.

Expansion and hiring at existing sites in Mobile, Alabama, and Marietta, Georgia, for the next U.S. tanker is contingent upon the award, which is expected in late 2024 or in 2025, Larry Gallogly, director of the LMXT program for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, told reporters on Monday.