More weird twists in tanker tale: Russian firm denies bid

Published 2:24 pm Monday, March 22, 2010

Russia’s United Aircraft Corp. has denied reports that it plans to bid on the U.S. Air Force tanker contract.

Late last week, a Los Angeles-based attorney told the Wall Street Journal and other media outlets that Russia’s UAC would announce plans today to bid for the $35 billion aerial refueling contract. Boeing and potentially EADS plan to compete for the lucrative deal supplying the Air Force with 179 tankers.

This morning, however, officials for UAC say the reports are erroneous.

“We have not been holding, are not holding and are not planning to hold such talks,” UAC official told Reuters.

John Kirkland, the attorney who initiated the reports, quoted Alexander Shishkin, who he said worked for the Russian Federal Service of Military-Technical Cooperation, about the UAC bid. But Shishkin told media today that he can’t comment on the report. Shishkin also refused to confirm that he even works for the Federal Service of Military-Technical Cooperation.

Kirkland told Bloomberg this morning that he was either duped or that the Russians just aren’t ready yet to announce their bid.

Boeing plans to offer the Air Force a tanker based on its Everett-built 767.

After EADS’ partner, Northrop Grumman, dropped out of the competition earlier this month, the European company initially looked like it would bow out, too. However, late last week, after the Pentagon said it would consider extending the May 10 deadline for bids, EADS said in a statement that the company is considering going it alone.

UPDATE 2 p.m. PST:

UAC has posted this statement about the tanker contest on its Web site.

“UAC is not planning to take part in the tanker tender or set up a joint venture”, said Alexey I. Fedorov, UAC president and chairman of executive board.

UAC denies knowing attorney John Kirkland.

Despite UAC’s denial of interest in bidding for the Air Force tanker contract, Kirkland has supplied the media with documents supporting his claims.

In an even weirder twist, Kirkland provided Defense News with a text message, dated 9:31 a.m., March 21, that comes from a Sergei Sushenko, who is described as a Russian liason. In the message, Sushenko claims Airbus offered UAC $350,000 not to bid. Airbus denies the claim.

Kirkland claims his firm already notified the Pentagon of UAC’s intent to bid. Defense officials haven’t confirmed or denied Kirkland’s statement.