The Air Force kicked off its $35 billion aerial refueling tanker contest Thursday.
In a note on its Web site, the Defense Department said it would brief the media on the competition at 1 p.m. PST.
The contest pits the Boeing Co. against partners Northrop Grumman and EADS, the parent company of Airbus. Boeing will offer the Air Force a tanker based either on its 767 or its 777 commercial jets. Northrop and EADS will offer a tanker that’s based on Airbus’ A330 aircraft.
The Air Force has tried twice before to replace 179 of its KC-135 tankers.
The Pentagon was to meet with members of Congress this morning to discuss the Air Force’s new requirements for its KC-X tanker contest.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said she’ll review carefully the Air Force’s new proposal to ensure it does not give an unfair advantage to one company or another.
“There can be no more guessing games,” Murray said, in a statement. “Neither our airmen nor the American taxpayers can afford another muddled competition in which the rules change in the middle of the game. The Pentagon must communicate clearly and equally with all parties.”
In the last contest, the Air Force initially awarded the contract to Northrop and EADS. But Boeing protested the award, claiming that the Air Force led the company to believe it wanted a smaller tanker, similar in size to its 767, not the larger Airbus A330.
Boeing ultimately prevailed in having the award overturned. The Pentagon halted the contest a year ago.
Several members of Congress have been pushing the Air Force to account for a recent World Trade Organization ruling against Airbus in the contest. The WTO found that Airbus had received illegal “launch aid” for commercial jets like the A330 that Northrop and EADS would use for their tanker.
Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Wash., said the Air Force has not taken the WTO ruling into account in this draft request for proposals.
“It totally fails to take into consideration the massive illegal subsidies that one of the bidders (EADS) received,” he said.
In this morning’s briefing, Inslee urged Pentagon representatives to figure out a way to do so. Otherwise, Inslee said that Congress will enact legislation to make sure the WTO ruling is considered.
Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., praised the Air Force for leaving the WTO ruling out of its proposal. Northrop and EADS would assemble their KC-30 in Alabama if the Air Force selects their proposal.
“After initial review, the Air Force has made the fair and just determination to not include provisions that would irresponsibly penalize one competitor based on unfounded results of an interim World Trade Organization report,” Shelby said. “This is the right decision.”
The Air Force’s draft requirements will be available to the public Friday morning on the FedBizOpps Web site.
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