Shelby To Gates: Tanker Needed Now
By
The Associated Press
Published: Wed, March 05, 2008 - 4:34 pm
refueling tanker was less expensive, less risky and superior
overall to that of the rival partnership that was awarded a $35
billion U.S. Air Force contract.
Jim Albaugh, top executive of Boeing's Integrated Defense
Systems, said the company will press its case at a Friday
debriefing with Air Force officials who gave the high-profile
contract to Northrop Grumman and European Aeronautic Defence and
Space Company.
The decision to award the contract, at least in part, to a
company overseas has led to calls for an examination of the deal in
Congress.
He said Boeing will protest the decision only if it suspects an
"irregularity."
Albaugh said the company was surprised to lose the contract
because it was convinced it offered exactly what the Air Force
sought in the contract's request for proposal - and for less than
the specified $35 billion.
Albaugh said Boeing couldn't understand that preference since he
said the Air Force hadn't emphasized size in what it wanted.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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If all this flap is about NG/EADS “outsourcing” national security and taxpayers money going to a European company, Why is Boeing partnered with an Italian aircraft manufacturer to assemble the C-27J? Why are we using the Italian made Baretta M-9? or the Belgium made (FN) M-249? Also with Congressman Dicks (D-WA) on the Senate Appropriations Committee grilling the AF today, isn’t that a conflict of interest? Boeing’s a great company, and NG has a long history of military aircraft. But if Boeing is really concerned about national security and not protecting their coveted turf, they should distance themselves from the C-27J project and other foreign interests they have.