02.27.2008 2:47 pm

Tanker: The wait goes on

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Looks like the wait will continue for the results of the Air Force’s $40 billion aerial refueling tanker contract award, which has been due “any day now” all week.

The day won’t be today, top Air Force weapons buyer Sue Payton told Reuters in Washington today.

“We’re really making sure all the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed,” she said.

Payton’s best bet? Friday.

So figure on two more anxious days for the tanker teams at Boeing and Northrop Grumman and EADS, which are competing for what will be one of the biggest military plane deals of the decade.

But if the news breaks before then, we’ll certainly let you know.

(No Ratings Yet)

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Tags: Air Force, Airbus, Boeing, Northrup Grumman, tanker contract

3 comments

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Blog Comments: Rules of the Road

Based on how late EADS is with the RAAF one, I hope you won’t need them anytime soon if you guys are silly enough to go with Airbus

— Greg

5:06 pm February 27th, 2008

For all of you who are against the tanker award to EADS because it is a “foreign country” I have a question: why was that question not brought up when the White House awarded the new executive helicopter fleet contract to Westland/Augusta, and, when the Coast Guard (i.e. Homeland Security) bought the EADS CASA HC-144A?

— George

11:39 am February 29th, 2008

To be fair - Italy and Japan are overdue on their Boeing Tanker deliveries as well. I really don’t have a problem using the EADS equipment since it’s built in USA. With the election of Pres. Sarkozy, there is a chance that the US, long overdue in working to warm French relations, may actually make positive strides to that end and I can see an EADS victory as a win-win.

— Dave

1:23 pm February 29th, 2008