Dicks: Add $5M to Northrop’s tanker bid

Published 1:58 pm Wednesday, November 18, 2009

One of Boeing’s biggest supporters in Congress wants to add as much as $5 million to Northrop-EADS’ U.S. Air Force tanker bid.

The Air Force is trying for the third time to replace its aging fleet of KC-135 tankers. It released its draft requirements for its tanker fleet in late September but immediately ran into troubles with its two bidders.

Boeing and its supporters want the Air Force to weigh a trade ruling against Airbus in its competition. EADS is Airbus’ parent company. Northrop and EADS are using an Airbus’ A330 as the basis for their tanker.

Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., is arguing that the Air Force should add as much as $5 million per tanker to Northrop-EADS’ bid, according to Reuters. Boeing would build its tanker in Washington.

The Air Force says the World Trade Organization ruling is still preliminary, so it won’t consider the ruling. Plus, Airbus has a counter-complaint against Boeing pending with the WTO.

For its part, Northrop and EADS are upset with the Air Force for giving Boeing its tanker pricing information during the last contest in 2008. The Air Force said the info isn’t relevant, but it did ask Boeing to release similar info to Northrop-EADS. Boeing said no.