With the Air Force’s final tanker requirements due out next week, both competitors for the lucrative contract hit the trail this week, talking up their respective tankers.
Northrop Grumman made a stop yesterday in North Carolina, telling residents there that a Northrop win would mean 1,500 jobs for the state. Northrop is teaming up with EADS to offer the Air Force their KC-30 tanker, based off Airbus’ A330 commercial jet.
Boeing made an appearance today in Orlando, Florida. The company is taking BART, Boeing Aerial Refueling Technology trailer, on a Tanker Trek this year, visiting various defense conferences across the country.
Air Force officials said today that they’ll release the final request for proposals as early as Feb. 23, but no later than the end of the month.
Based on comments made by Northrop officials, the Air Force knows that Boeing may be the only defense contractor to submit a bid for the multi-billion dollar contract.
“We are not walking blindly into a situation where we just have one potential offeror,” said Lieutenant General Mark Shackelford, military deputy in charge of acquisition for the Air Force, according to Reuters.
A recently released report from the Dept. of Defense could indicate the Air Force favors Boeing’s 767 tanker, writes analyst Scott Hamilton.
That’s exactly why Northrop officials have said they may not compete in this round.
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