Air Force Evaluation Found Boeing Tanker More Capable

[Top_Gun]

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ST. LOUIS, April 03, 2008 -- While the U.S. Air Force awarded a contract to build the next aerial refueling airplane to the team of Northrop Grumman and the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), Air Force evaluators found the Boeing [NYSE: BA] KC-767 Advanced Tanker offers more mission capability and has a better chance of surviving combat than the larger Northrop-EADS KC-30 tanker.

"The fact that the Air Force gave Boeing the highest possible rating in mission capability and cited the KC-767 Advanced Tanker as having three times more strengths than the Northrop-EADS tanker in this most important category further highlights the inconsistencies in the selection process," said Mark McGraw, vice president and program manager for Boeing Tanker Programs. "As for protecting flight crews on the most dangerous missions, the Air Force evaluated Boeing's tanker as much more survivable than the Northrop-EADS tanker."

[Robert Hilton]

Sounds like some people should be playing to their strengths and not keep bitching about fumbling the ball.

[FireLight]

Sounds like some people should be playing to their strengths and not keep bitching about fumbling the ball.

It sounds as if Boeing has at least some angles to work with regarding making their case to Washington. It will be interesting to see if they can generate enough backing in Congress/Senate to make a difference. I expect EADS/Northrop Grumman will be working the streets too to defend their interests.

At the moment, Boeing is clearly fighting at a disadvantage, but I expect the next few months will make it clear whether they have any hope of changing the outcome at all.

[uy707]

^Boeing made it clear it will fuel everything possible to change the outcome back in their favor, but looks forgetting that Northrop is
the team leader
knows the tricks, probably better than Boeing
Should Boeing keeps going, be sure the other will strike back like some rattlers ...