This time, contest must be made fair

Boeing’s ability to offer variants of its new tanker is a testament to the talent of its American workforce (June 16 article, “Boeing has 777 tanker ready in case Air Force wants bigger refueling plane”). But that workforce might disappear if the Pentagon outsources its $100 billion tanker contract to a French company that has used illegal subsidies to cheat its way into this competition.

First, the European Union pumped EADS with tens of billions of dollars in illegal subsidies to give it an unfair advantage against Boeing in commercial airliners. Now, despite a WTO lawsuit filed by the U.S. Trade Representative, EADS is trying to extend their unlawful advantage to American defense contracts.

If the Pentagon lets this happen America’s economic and national security will be put at risk. We would lose 44,000 jobs and harm our industrial base, which provides our military with the tools they need to complete their missions and return safely home. Given the time needed to train engineers and skilled manufacturers, our economy would feel impact for the next 20 years.

The Government Accountability Office overturned the last tanker competition in a stunning rebuke of the Air Force, citing several significant errors that effectively rigged the fight. This time, the Pentagon should ensure a fair contest for the tanker contract.

Richard Michalski

General VP, International Association of Machinists

Upper Marlboro, Md.