Brent Kisling, Executive Director, Oklahoma Department of Commerce; Mike Ward, Vice-President Air-to-Air Fueling, Cobham plc; Rob Fluck, Director, Account Management, Cobham Mission Systems
The Oklahoma Department of Commerce announced that Cobham plc, a global aerospace company with headquarters in the UK and market leader in aerial refueling products and technologies, is opening a new facility at Tinker Air Force Base in March 2019 to provide customer support for Cobham Hose and Drogue equipment fitted to US Air Force Refueling Aircraft.
Located in Oklahoma City, Tinker Air Force Base is home to an Air Logistics Center, which provides maintenance and overhaul of KC-135 Stratotanker and the KC-10, the primary aerial refueling aircrafts in service with the USAF. Once deployed, the USAF Logistics Center will provide sustainment services for the new KC-46 tanker, also fitted with Cobham Hose and Drogue Refuelling systems.
“Recognizing the need to improve our customer service and response efficiency, we are excited to establish a regional support facility in Oklahoma which will strengthen our close working relationship with the US Air Force,” stated Ken Kota, Senior Vice President, Business Development and Strategy, for Cobham Mission Systems.
Kota continued, “thanks to the support of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, our new office positions us to proactively serve our customer at their own facility. Our staff will be directly on hand to communicate and problem solve matters related to Cobham Aerial Refuelling Systems on the USAF key tanker platforms. We look forward to exploring other service and support solutions for the future.”
“Aerospace is the second largest industry in our state, and Tinker is a mainstay of maintenance, repair and overhaul operations for the U.S. Department of Defense,” said Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt. “Cobham and Oklahoma are a natural fit, and I am excited to watch the company get up and running in our state. I’d like to thank Mr. Kota and the team at the Oklahoma Department of Commerce for working together to make this announcement come to fruition.”
The Oklahoma Department of Commerce and Cobham began discussions around the possibility of opening an Oklahoma facility during the 2016 Farnborough International Air Show. After those talks, the company made multiple visits to the state to explore the options available in the state. With the state’s central location, growing aerospace and defense industry and approximately $43.7 billion in annual aerospace economic activity, Oklahoma has become a prime location for international companies looking to expand in the United States.