K&F Industries Awarded KC-135 Fuel Tank Contract By U.S. Department Of Defense

White Plains, NY - K&F Industries Holdings, Inc. announced that the United States Department of Defense (DoD) has selected Engineered Fabrics Corporation (EFC), a wholly owned subsidiary of K&F, to supply fuel tanks for U.S. Air Force (USAF) KC-135 military aircraft. The three-year agreement to deliver full ship sets of flexible bladder fuel tanks for approximately 90 KC-135s, along with various spares for an additional 100 planes, is expected to generate an estimated $38M in sales for K&F, according to the company. Initial deliveries will begin in the first quarter of 2007.

The KC-135 is the U.S. military's primary fuel tanker aircraft, according to K&F. Capable of meeting the aerial refueling requirements of long-range bomber, fighter, cargo and reconnaissance aircraft, the KC-135 carries approximately 19,000 gallons of transfer fuel and has a range of over 11,000 miles. The KC-135 utilizes sixteen internally mounted flexible bladder fuel tanks that run the length of its fuselage, and six integral sealed tanks within the wing structure. EFC was selected for the first phase of a multi-phase heavy maintenance upgrade of the fleet of nearly 500 active KC-135s as a result of its engineering collaboration with the USAF and the performance of its products in long-term field testing, adds K&F.

SOURCE: K&F Industries Holdings, Inc.