Our Viewpoints : News : GE
skip to main contentskip to secondary navigationWe have played a vital role in helping further national interests. And that work continues today. Our culture of innovation continues to bring new technologies, products and services to bear on today’s most pressing challenges.
On a policy level, our experience and expertise is helping governments all around the world meet the difficult issues they face with responsible, innovative solutions. Our history of supporting national interests is strong, and our work today continues to build that strength. The result is a stronger, better company providing new and useful solutions to some of the world’s greatest challenges.
Since its founding in 1879, GE has been a partner of choice for governments interested in solving their biggest, toughest problems. Time and again, we have delivered for the United States and her allies:
In 1912, GE delivered a 7,000-horsepower generator to the U.S. Navy — it sparked the engine on the U.S.S. Jupiter, the world’s first electrically powered vessel. At first it hauled coal to fuel the U.S. fleet — and later was converted into the U.S. Navy’s first aircraft carrier.
Six years later, in the middle of the first World War, the U.S. Government commissioned GE to find out how to detect the U-Boats that prowled U.S. waters. GE delivered with technology that strengthened America’s defenses, protected shipping and saved lives.
At the same time, GE scientists were developing a new lighting system for shipyards. It enabled the U.S. Navy’s wartime production to soar — and helped quicken the creation of an arsenal of democracy for America and her allies.
Over the years, GE has made it easier for the U.S. to communicate with its troops and allies in the midst of war. GE built the world’s first jet engine, following through later to put the thrust behind the most famous plane in the world: Air Force One.
GE went to the bottom of the ocean to help NASA find out what living in space would be like for humans — then we rocketed to the moon to help NASA’s astronauts walk on the alien lunar surface. We made the ship-to-satellite system that helped the world see the Stars and Stripes planted on the moon in living color.
Most recently, GE received the U.S. Department of Defense’s Freedom Award for the support GE provides to those employees in the National Guard and Reserves who have been called to active duty.
Today, our depth of experience helps our partners make a big difference in building a better tomorrow.
We are applying our experience and expertise in governance and the rule of law to help governments all around the world formulate responsible, inventive policies that meet some of their biggest challenges. We work to build relationships that positively serve the pursuits of both business and governments. Because of our global footprint and the interconnected nature of today’s business world, it is important that GE participate in public policy debates globally.
GE Healthcare technology helps doctors save nearly 3,000 lives every day. Our armed forces rely on GE Healthcare equipment in hospitals and clinics within the U.S. and in Combat Support Hospitals in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
GE power generation equipment creates about one quarter of the world’s daily electricity, while three-and-a-half million passengers will fly on commercial jets powered by engines from GE and its partners. Every U.S. Army Apache and Blackhawk helicopter on patrol today is powered by GE engines.
On average, our GE Evolution locomotives save enough fuel each day that it’s like taking 43,000 cars off U.S. roads. Our world’s-first hybrid locomotive — which will pull freight across the country and around the world in a cleaner, more efficient manner — will ride the rails beginning in 2010.
Though our media companies GE will entertain and inform more than a hundred million people today.
Our water technologies purify enough water to satisfy the daily needs of 39 million people. This includes 25% of the drinking water to the entire city of Algiers and all the fresh water that keeps the U.S. Army’s vital 18,000-acre defense installation on the island of Oahu running.
GE’s financial service businesses provide an average of more than $1.5 billion in credit every business day, helping companies grow and letting people achieve their dreams.
More than 11,000 veterans of the U.S. military are part of our workforce, helping get it all done. We’re proud to have them on our team.
We are continuing to invest in people and technology to create long-lasting, well-paid jobs that will expand America’s competitive capacity for decades. Over time, these jobs will form the green labor backbone of a stronger workforce that turns wind and solar into abundant supplies of clean energy, drives electric cars out of labs and onto highways, and builds out the next generation "smart" energy grid.
These are big solutions to big challenges — things that only the best people and the best technology can do, with steadfast integrity. These are our greatest strengths: the people, expertise and technology to meet the world’s toughest challenges.