PrintJuly 9, 2008
Air Force tanker contract bidding re-opened
In what amounts to another rebuke for the Air Force, Defense Secretary Robert Gates is taking over the process of buying a new fleet of aerial tankers, and partially opening it for rebidding. Last month, several comparatively small errors were found in the original Northrop Grumman-Airbus joint venture's figures, switching the total cost calculus on the huge deal a few million dollars in Boeing's favor.
The original announcement of Airbus getting a piece of the deal, supplying the airframes, riled up many antagonists. This move, with political accountability involved, looks like a big victory for Boeing.
