Public Announcement on Thursday, March 30th

Project T-100 for Tuskegee’s Moton Field

Presented by: Macon County Economic Development Authority (MCEDA)

Summary:

Project T-100 started with a phone call from the City of Auburn over 2-1/2 years ago to MCEDA which started a collaboration with the City of Auburn. This phone call led to a simple Request for Information (RFI) on a project managed by the Alabama Department of Commerce. This RFI then led MCEDA to become project leader on this 2-1/2 year (stop and start) providential journey with the Alabama Department of Commerce that has culminated in this site selection announcement. The site is a 60 acre industrial site near the runway at Moton Field. The client is Leonardo-DRS. Leonardo-DRS is a global aerospace and defense industry who will manufacture and assemble this special T-100 aircraft.

Project T-100: Go the website: www.t-100.us

This project is part of the United States Air Force’s (USAF) plan for acquisition of 350 new, state-of-the-art trainer jet aircraft to train fighter pilots and to replace the current 50 year old trainer jet. Three to four companies (including Leonardo/DRS) will bid on March 30th to the USAF for the right to win and construct the aircraft. This project value will be worth $ billions over time. The site selection announcement on Thursday is to show Leonardo-DRS’s commitment to build the aircraft in Tuskegee at Moton Field should they win the bid. The winner of the bid will be announced between September 30th and December 30th of 2017.

Leonardo already supplies a version of the T-100 by way of the M-346 trainer jet to Israel, Poland, Singapore, UAE and Italy. It is the most sophisticated and widely used fighter jet trainer in the world. Its competition will primarily come from Boeing-Saab and Lockheed Martin-Korean Aerospace.

If successful, the company would then start a 2-4 year ramp up of production that would last almost 20 years. The scope of the project could expand with international sales. Other suppliers and partners would likely come to Macon County and co-locate nearby. The aerospace supply chain throughout Alabama will benefit as well.

Project Impact:

T-100 would represent an initial net investment of approximately $200-$250 million in plant and equipment and the creation of 750 new direct jobs at average, unweighted, wage rates of over $24 per hour. Indirect jobs and investment could

raise this investment/employment much higher. Dozens of engineers and highly skilled workers will be needed.

State and Community Investment:

A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed by Leonardo, the State of Alabama and MCEDA on March 8th. Incentives, grants, some tax rebates and credits were part of the package. A favorable land lease and building of facilities built-to-suit was offered, and will be financed in part with private developers and funded by the new tax and economic activity generated from the new job creation and investment. The MOA will be subject to a negotiated Project Agreement with all stakeholders that must take place within 90 days after the client wins the award. Expansion and improvement of Moton Field’s runway to 8,000 feet will be required and an upgraded landing surface, as well as the construction of an adjacent dedicated taxiway for the project is included in the MOA. The FAA is aware of our project and this would in turn allow Moton Field to accommodate all types of major aircraft.

While this project is significant in expense and incentives, its potential long-term local and regional impact is enormous. It will take community and corridor-wide collaboration and support in order for Leonardo-DRS to pull it off. We can all work at the grassroots level contacting our elected officials to let them know we want this project to come to Tuskegee!

Long term impacts:

The new investment by the company, FAA, state and local officials - plus the new job creation will inject capital, wages, and infrastructure into Macon County unseen in our lifetime. The company will also operate a research facility here and will collaborate fully in investing in and integrating its efforts with Tuskegee University and our local communities. The Tuskegee legacy in aerospace, aviation and defense of our nation will be built upon and enhanced with investments and full partnerships by Leonardo-DRS. New taxes for schools and communities will allow us to grow and meet the workforce/infrastructure demands for a generation of growth.

Manage expectations and enlist advocates:

This announcement shows how we have now positioned our community for world class industry and investment. But this industry will only build in Tuskegee if it wins the bid with the USAF. The USAF is looking for the lowest cost, lowest risk and best value in technology and performance. We feel strongly that Leonardo-DRS and the T-100 built in Tuskegee, Alabama is in position to compete and win. Political and grassroots advocacy can be helpful for this effort since this project

will create new jobs and change our citizen’s lives for generations. Work your networks directly and in social media to generate support for T-100.