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Boeing Wants Answers

By The Associated Press

The Air Force will explain to Boeing as soon as tomorrow about why they didn't win a contract to build Air Force tankers. Boeing Wants Answers

Published: Wed, March 05, 2008 - 10:07 am

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Air Force could explain to Boeing as soon
as tomorrow why it awarded a $35 billion aerial refueling tanker
contract to rival EADS and its partner, Northrop Grumman.
Boeing, which has been supplying refueling tankers to the Air
Force for nearly 50 years and was widely expected to win the deal,
will not decide whether to protest the decision until it is
debriefed.
The Air Force decision to award the high-stakes deal to EADS and
Northrop Grumman has touched off a furor in Congress and led many
lawmakers to question why the Pentagon would give such an important
contract to a foreign company.
The backlash has been strongest among lawmakers from Washington,
Kansas and other states that would have gained jobs had Boeing won.
The contract to build up to 179 tankers is the first of three Air
Force awards worth as much $100 billion.
The EADS/Northrop Grumman team plans to perform its final
assembly work in Mobile.
Governor Bob Riley said the superior plane won.

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(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)