Air Force still prefers larger tanker
Industry and military analysts still believes that the U.S. Air Force prefers a larger tanker and Boeing will still lose in the end. Analysts believes that the Pentagon will change its requirements and ask for a larger tanker this time.
Although Boeing could offer the larger 777, its higher price tag will put it at a disadvantage.
European leaders lobbied White House on air tanker contract
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have lobbied to U.S. President George Bush on the KC-X tanker program. "All three leaders at various times raised the issue," White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.
"The president told all three the same thing, he has nothing to do with the contracting process and the White House has nothing to do with the contracting process."
Boeing to Pentagon - Don't change tanker rules
Top Boeing executives insists that they will fight any attempt by the U.S. military to change the KC-X rules from the original one. The new tanker manger for Boeing, Dave Bowman, said his company will ask the government to fully justify any changes to the original requirements.
Boeing shakes up tanker management, headquarters
Boeing has shake up its air tanker unit with a change of management and the unit will now report directly to Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems CEO Jim Albaugh. Dave Bowman, who was manager of Boeing's C-17 program, will take over the unit from Mark McGraw.
Its headquarters will be shifted from St. Louis to Seattle with additional program staff in Wichita.
Northrop CEO sees tanker-turnabout danger
Northrop Grumman's chief executive warned that cross-Atlantic ties could be jeopardized if the KC-X contract goes to Boeing and the decision is seen as protectionist. "If it goes the other way because of protectionism and misinformed jingoism, I think that would be a devastating blow to the relationship with our most trusted allies," he said in an interview at the Farnborough International Airshow.
Northrop Grumman Tanker Team Will Complete All Four Tanker Airframes in 2009, Two Airframes Ready to Begin Military Modification Now
Northrop Grumman Corporation's Tanker team announced yesterday that all four initial tanker System Design and Development (SDD) airframes are scheduled for final assembly and initial flight testing by the end of 2009. The first two SDD airframes have been built and flown, and are awaiting modification to the tanker configuration. The initial KC-45 contract calls for four SDD aircraft before transitioning to Initial Low Rate Production.
Boeing says it's best suited to win $35bn tanker deal
Speaking ahead of today's Farnborough Airshow, Boeing's Jim Albaugh said the KC-767 was best solution for the KC-X contract. Albaugh said Boeing will review the new guidelines for the retender when its release before making a decision whether to field the bigger 777 instead.
Air Force rebid may favor rival of Boeing
While Boeing's supporters are happy at the Pentagon's decision to rebid the KC-X, some of them are not optimistic that Boeing will definetly win in the next round. U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks said his impression after meeting Pentagon acquisition chief John Young is that the Pentagon is going to officially change the rules in favor of the KC-30 before it reruns the competition.
U.S. says Northrop contract victory was not due to "wrong conduct"
U.S. Government Accountability Office's Deputy General Counsel Daniel Gordon told a U.S. House committee on Thursday that the selection of the KC-30 for the Air Force's KC-X contest was marred by mistakes in evaluating data, not "wrongful conduct." "Bias, undue influence or other intentional wrongdoing was not alleged by Boeing nor did the GAO see any evidence of such intentional wrongful conduct by the Air Force," Gordon said.
Pentagon to outline new tanker strategy 'very soon'
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said Thursday that U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates may "very soon" announce his new strategy for the KC-X tanker. Gates has been "doing some consulting" with experts "and giving his own analysis" of the Pentagon's options, Whitman said.
Air Force hasn't asked GAO to review tanker ruling
The U.S. Air Force said on Tuesday it had not appeal the Government Accountability Office's decision to uphold Boeing's KC-X protest. Under federal rules, the Air Force has 10-days to ask the GAO to reconsider its decision.
GAO faults USAF for basic errors on tanker contract award
The U.S. Air Force was mislead by Northrop Grumman into thinking that the KC-30 can achieved speeds beyond 330kts during a dive. The maximum speed of the A330 was below the minimum speed that the USAF requires to conduct a so-called "overrun" maneuver.
After failing to convince the USAF to change its maneuver speed, Northrop Grumman convinced the Air Force that the higher speed can be achieved in dives when the fact that its maximum speed is limited by its flight control software.
Subsidies didn't benefit Northrop tanker bid: DOD
U.S. Undersecretary of Defense John Young said Northrup Grumman/EADS KC-30 tanker did not benefit from European government subsidies. "Neither the United States nor the European Communities has included in the scope of its claims before the WTO any assertion that military aircraft benefit from WTO-inconsistence subsidies or that its military aircraft industry has been harmed by such subsidies," Young said.
House panel sets July 15 tanker hearing
The U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold a hearing on Jul. 15 over the GAO's decision to uphold Boeing's protest. Rep. Henry Waxman, chairman of the House panel, said the hearing would "examine the actions of the Air Force" in awarding the contract to Northrop Grumman/EADS.
Pentagon chief: No decision yet on new tanker bids
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he has not make a decision on restarting the KC-X contract. "I haven't made any decisions yet, but I would say that I take the GAO report very seriously," Gates told reporters. "They clearly pointed out some areas where we were deficient."
AFP reported that Gates meet his acquisition officials on Wednesday to discuss the GAO decision for the first time.
Full GAO report: Northrop Grumman had unfair edge on tanker plane contract
The U.S. Government Accountability Office on Wednesday released its 67-page report on Boeing's KC-X tanker protest. The GAO report showed that Boeing had a "substantial chance" of winning the competition if the U.S. Air Force had not make a number of errors.
Wynne Mulls Revised Tanker RFP With Flyoff
In his last official meeting with reporters, former U.S. Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne suggests that a flyoff be held for the KC-X contract. A flyoff would allow the Pentagon to conduct more rigorous assessments of both tanker designs.
Air Force to seek new tanker bids: outgoing boss
Departing U.S. Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne says the Air Force will likely reopen the KC-X bidding. "I would say there's going to be a lot of fear in the system that, 'can we ever do this right,"' said Michael Wynne.
Northrop, EADS put off groundbreaking for tanker factories
Whoops, no party for the KC-30 team. Northrop Grumman has decided to postpone the planned Jun. 28 groundbreaking for two facilities in Mobile, Alabama that will produce the KC-45 tanker for the U.S. Air Force. No new date has been set for the groundbreaking at Brookley Field in Mobile.
McCain: Tanker report unfortunate for taxpayers
Sen. John McCain said the latest saga of the USAF aerial tanker program is "unfortunate for the taxpayers, but they (Air Force officials) need to go back and redo the contracting process and the rewarding of it and hopefully they will get it right." McCain added: "I'm still proud that the first time around I saved the taxpayers $6.2 billion."
US lawmakers urge tanker contract for Boeing now
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates should reopen the KC-X contract since he is in charge of the competition after firing the Air Force's top officials earlier this month, some lawmakers are arguing. Lawmakers from Washington state and Kansas, where Boeing has large plants employing thousands of workers, said the GAO decision confirmed their view that Boeing should have won the contract.
Chairman of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Carl Levin, also wants a new competition.
Boeing wins tanker protest, but drama is far from over
The U.S. Government Accountability Office has uphold Boeing's protest on the award of the KC-X contract to Northrup Grumman/EADS and calls for a fresh competition. The GAO listed seven major mistakes in the Air Force procurement process that detracted from "full and open competition and fairness."
Among them: a failure to show that the KC-30 could refuel all of the Air Force aircraft it needs to service and misleading Boeing about its failure to meet certain performance parameters, while giving fuller information to Northrop.
Boeing said in a brief statement that it "welcome and support" the GAO ruling.
Northrop Grumman said it "respect the GAO's work in analyzing the Air Force's tanker acquisition process."
Boeing may drop tanker plans on government decision: report
The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that Boeing may abandon its entire aerial tanker program if it fails to sell its KC-767 to the U.S. Air Force. The paper quoted Boeing's executive in charge of its tanker program Mark McGraw, saying that Boeing had counted on the Pentagon to provide enough production volume to make an international tanker business viable.
GAO ruling may spur tanker redo-Boeing
Mark McGraw, Boeing's tanker program manager, told Reuters that a GAO decision to uphold even some of Boeing's KC-X protest points could lead to a re-competition. And Boeing could offer a different aircraft, depending on the requirements established for any such new competition.
Over at EADS, Chief Executive Louis Gallois told reporters at a news conference near Paris that his company is confident of its win.
Boeing says Air Force miscalculated tanker costs
This is the joke of the month, the U.S. Air Force concedes that it can't count properly. The Air Force has conceded that it made mistakes in calculating the lifecycle costs of the KC-30 and KC-767 and the Boeing offer was actually cheaper. Originally, the Air Force calculated that it costs $108.01 billion to operate the KC-30 over its lifespan compared to $108.04 billion for the Boeing tanker.
Northrop Grumman said in a statement the 'minor errors should have no impact' in the GAO ruling on Boeing's protest of that award.
Boeing's dilemma: If company loses tanker appeal, should it throw in the towel?
Boeing Chief Executive Jim McNerney told Lehman Brothers analyst Joe Campbell that whether to appeal a decision by GAO that doesn't side with the company on the KC-X tanker will be his "most important decision this year." The Government Accountability Office will have up to next Thursday to decide if Boeing's protests were correct.
Boeing, Northrop $35 Billion Tanker Fight May End in Court
Richard Lieberman, a federal contracting attorney with McCarthy Sweeney & Harkaway, said Boeing is likely to file suit with the U.S. Court of Federal Claims if the GAO does not rule in its favor for the KC-X competition.
Campaign Finance Complaint Filed Against McCain
A Democratic advocacy group is running a TV ad against Republican Presidential candidate John McCain. The watchdog alleged that McCain favored KC-X winner EADS and his campaign advisers had received funding from EADS.
Tanker contract will test Alabama legal infrastructure
Former NBC News military analyst, Ret. Col. Ken Allard, said most people overlooked the fact that Alabama's legal infrastructure is not robust enough for the state to support an assembly line for the next Air Force tanker.
GAO ruling unlikely to produce tanker truce
After the U.S. Government Accountability Office rules on Boeing's protest on the KC-X contract. The battle is likely to move on to the Congress.
Analyst believes GAO conclusion will favor Boeing
Loren Thompson of the Lexington Institute believes that the GAO will agree with Boeing over the KC-X protest. "GAO almost certainly will find problems" with the Air Force's selection process, said Thompson. "The only question is how significant those problems will be. But I think the likelihood is that they will favor Boeing, and that would not be good news for Mobile."
U.S. Air Force firings raise questions about contracts
The sacking of the U.S. Air Force's top two officials has given Boeing's KC-X supporters ammunition that its acquisition decisions were flawed. Sen. Patty Murray issued a statement saying the "resignations raise new red flags about procurement and oversight within the Air Force" and that "the Administration itself has expressed a lack of confidence in the decision-making and leadership of the Air Force's top officials."
However Alabama's leaders were quick to respond by saying that the resignations will not affect the KC-X outcome as both Moseley nor Wynne were involved in the tanker acquisition process.
Top US arms buyer sees no mistakes in tanker pick
John Young, the U.S. Defense Department acquisition chief, told a small group of reporters on Thursday that he had "not seen mistakes" by the Air Force selection team to award the KC-X contract to NGC/EADS. "I certainly hope, though, (that) if there's some small area of judgment that probably would not have a material impact on the outcome that we won't undo the whole thing over that," he added.
Tanker update: little known company could cause stir
It has emerged that a little know aerospace company, NA KOA Aviation, has also filed a protest with the GAO over the award of the KC-X contract to NGC/EADS. NA KOA has approached Boeing in 2006 about using 747-8 based tanker for the competition. Boeing rejected the offer.
The company told the GAO that Air Force officials told Boeing unofficially that they wanted a smaller tanker which lead to Boeing snubbing NA KOA’s proposal.
Tanker And McCain
What does Republican Presidential candidate John McCain do when he was criticized for giving the KC-X tanker contract to NGC/EADS? Click on the external link to find out.
Lockheed chief says US Airbus contract sign of openness
Bob Stevens, Lockheed Martin's chairman, president and chief executive, said the award of the KC-X contract to Northrop Grumman/EADS was a "positive" development. Stevens said companies that hide behind a veil of protectionism "will only grow weaker until they are 'protected to death.'"
Boeing hopeful on tanker, notes appeals often fail
Boeing CEO James McNerney said on Thursday during a webcast conference for investors that there may be another tanker competition for a different sized aircraft. McNerney added that Boeing hopes to win the GAO protest but noted that most often the appeals always fail.
Analyst questions Air Force tanker decision
Loren Thompson from the Lexington Institute has raised questions about the Pentagon's decision to award the KC-X contract to Northrop Grumman/EADS. Thompson has been widely criticized by Boeing supporters for being pro-Northrop on the tanker controversy. Right after the award was announced, Thompson said the decision was fair and transparent. But Thompson insisted he has only been reporting what Air Force sources have been telling him, and he had not taken sides in the dispute over whose tanker is better.
Measures target Northrop tanker contract
An amendment in the 2009 defense authorization bill calls for the KC-45 tanker to be build with 85 percent U.S. components. This will make life difficult for Northrup Grumman/EADS as their tanker has only 60 percent American content.
Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told Congress that any effort in Congress to limit the ability of foreign companies to bid on U.S. weapons projects would be met with economic retaliation overseas against American contractors.
This aircraft, designated SDD-2, follows the first KC-45 Tanker airframe (SDD-1), which was completed in July 2007 and performed its maiden flight Sept. 25, 2007. Both SDD-1 and SDD-2 will be outfitted with in-flight refueling systems and additional military-specific equipment.
Name the Tanker: Leaders seek inputs from Airmen
The U.S. Air Force is asking its airmen for suggestions on a name for the service's newest tanker aircraft, the KC-45A. "I've asked that we seek our Airmen's help to find a name for the KC-45," said Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne. "I prefer the name emphasize our heritage or our future horizon, but I'm most interested to see what our Airmen suggest."
US House panel eyes subsidy review on tanker deal
Here's an update on the U.S. House of Representatives Armed Services Committee decision for a review of any illegal subsidies' role in the KC-X contract. The panel decided that the U.S. Air Force carry out a review of the tanker's selection process if the World Trade Organization finds fault in a subsidy dispute pitting Boeing against Airbus.
Florida congressman suggests splitting tanker contract
Rep. C.W. Bill Young, the ranking Republican on the House Defense Appropriations Committee, has suggested splitting the KC-X tanker contract. However, Northrop Grumman and Boeing are not willing to take up the offer.
Northrop Grumman KC-45: Why We Won - Development Cost
For the system development and demonstration portion of the KC-X program, the U.S. Air Force concluded that Northrop Grumman was at "low risk" of coming in over budget or not meeting its production timetable, while Boeing was rated "moderate risk."
EADS underscores commitment to U.S. production
EADS said on Friday its on-time and on-cost deliveries of light utility helicopters to the U.S. Army underscored the company's long-term commitment to producing aircraft in the United States, despite concerns raised by some U.S. lawmakers.
Northrop Grumman KC-45: Why We Won - Cost and Price Comparison
Here is another reason Northrop Grumman won the KC-X : Cost and Price Comparison While Boeing claims Northrop Grumman's bid is more expensive, the Air Force concluded that Northrop Grumman's develop
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