Tanker Aircraft: Boeing only shortlisted
March 9, 2010
From our Washington correspondent
A rebound in the most unbelievable case of tanker aircraft contract to the Pentagon. Northrop Grumman and its partner EADS withdrew from the race. The US-European couple was competing with Boeing for the first tranche, estimated at 35 billion dollars, a huge contract to supply 179 tanker aircraft to the U.S. Air Force.
EADS Northrop counted on to militarize the United States of Airbus A 330 assembled in a factory specifically for this purpose in Alabama.
But both manufacturers denounced the method of evaluation of bids selected by the Pentagon. In their eyes, despite their protests past, she continues to favor Boeing's tanker which present a smaller derivative of the B-767.
The withdrawal by Northrop and EADS doubt the credibility of the procurement process the Department of Defense.Will he hold a fourth tender?
The Pentagon embarrassed
Northrop says not to seek to amend the terms of the approach adopted by the Pentagon. The Californian company waives invest more in a bid for this contract. Boeing, meanwhile, intends to propose, May 10, a modernized version of his old B-767.
The prospect of competing Boeing alone is very embarrassing for the Pentagon. Since 2001, the Air Force seeks U.S., in effect, to replace its aging fleet dangerously 540 KC-135 designed in the 1950s. The Defense Department relied on the intense competition between two offers to get the best equipment possible meill.eur price. On several occasions his officials have refused to split the contract between two suppliers in order to operate two different types of tankers.This solution would have charmed him EADS.
Turbulent history
The story of the tanker contract was particularly eventful. In 2004, following the discovery of fraud that led to jail a senior Pentagon official and another Boeing, Congress had rescinded the agreement given initially to the Chicago-based company to supply 100 tanker without tendering. In February 2008, after an intense competition the couple Northrop-EADS had believed win the contract against Boeing.
But after protests from Boeing on the methods used to evaluate the bid, the operation was canceled by the Pentagon. Last month a new tender, promising to be perfectly fair, was launched.That latter claim that Northrop and EADS decided not to respond.
The total requirement of U.S. Air Force in modern tankers is estimated at over $ 100 billion and will cover decades.
Hence the considerable commercial interest in EADS to stand as a provider of reference of the first aircraft in the world, in partnership with an American contractor.
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