Northrop Grumman, the Boeing Co.’s main competitor for a $40 billion tanker contract, laid out an argument Wednesday for why its KC-30 should be the U.S. Air Force’s choice.
With an Air Force announcement expected shortly, Northrop is turning up the heat with a barrage of press releases about the capability of its KC-30 tanker. If nothing else, the company certainly could be putting down the groundwork for a protest should it fail to win or split the award.
Boeing, on the other hand, has been busy keeping its KC-767 in the news, too, with the first delivery of its tanker to Japan. The Japan delivery carries positives and negatives for Boeing in regards to the U.S. Air Force deal. It shows Boeing has built and can deliver its tanker (although not exactly the same one as it would fashion for the U.S.). It also draws attention to the company’s stumbles along the way (Boeing’s more than a year late delivering to Japan and two years late in delivering to Italy).
In its latest release, Northrop says the KC-30 it’s building with EADS was “carefully designed to meet or exceed all KC-X Tanker Replacement Program Key Performance Parameters … designated by the Joint Chiefs of Staff.”
“The Air Force stated on page one of the KC-X solicitation that this was to be a Capabilities Based acquisition,” said Randy Belote, a vice president of communications for Northrop. “The KC-30 is far superior to its competitor in every area of capability and meets or exceeds the key requirements established for future warfighters by today’s Combatant Commanders. The Combatant Commanders and the Air Force have made it clear that they want a new and versatile Tanker capable of performing its mission in new ways, not an old Tanker employing yesterday’s methods.”
The latest releases from Northrop have taken a turn from touting benefits of and progress on the KC-30 or even from drawing differences between the KC-30 and Boeing’s KC-767. Instead, Northrop has focused on using Air Force data to make its case. In its news release issued Monday, Northrop says the KC-30 is 20 percent more capable than the KC-767 based on an Air Force evaluation model.
“Contrary to Boeing’s computations and assertions, these are not formulas devised by Northrop Grumman to favor Northrop Grumman in this competition but rather are capabilities-based evaluation criteria established by the Air Force to help it select the best platform for the warfighter,” said Paul Meyer, Northrop Grumman vice president and general manager of the KC-30 Tanker program.
Early last year, Northrop considered dropping out of the competition unless the Air Force could ensure a fair competition.
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