Air Force KC-X Tanker Contract Award to be Announced

DOD ^ | 24 Feb 2011 | US Dept. Of Defense

[pepperdog]

No. 018-11 February 24, 2011

Air Force KC-X Tanker Contract Award to be Announced

Deputy Secretary of Defense William Lynn, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition Technology and Logistics Ashton Carter, Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz will announce the KC-X tanker contract award at 5:10 p.m. EST, Feb. 24, in the Pentagon Briefing Room (2E973).

Journalists without a Pentagon building pass will be picked up at the River Entrance only. Plan to arrive no later than 45 minutes prior to the event; have proof of affiliation and two forms of photo identification. Please call 703-697-5131 for escort into the building.

This news conference will also stream live on the Pentagon Channel website, http://www.pentagonchannel.mil, and a transcript will be posted at http://www.defense.gov/transcripts.

[TankerKC]

1a. And ensure the contractor they select will provide sufficient engineering data, provisioning, training, etc. so the aircraft can be totally supported by military/civilian personnel working for the DOD in the USA and overseas and spares can be procured from the most economical sources. Buying the aircraft is not the only thing, maintaining is quite something else.

For some reason, that seems to be difficult to secure. The acquisition folks need to make sure they pay for all of the above, rather than just demanding it.

Question 3a...why, if the taxpayers are footing the bill shouldn’t they get the jobs?

Who says they won't? Jobs shouldn't be a deciding factor though.

[unkus]

Thanks.

[Oztrich Boy]

Fine, but where are the design engineers?

I think Boeing replaced most of its design engineers with Marketing People some 10 years ago.

[alancarp]

Boeing wins.

[Carl Vehse]

The Air Force KC-X Tanker contract goes to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel... I mean, Boeing.

[wolf78]

Boeing wins.

Boeing's offer was more than 1% cheaper than EADS, so other factors like range, fuel capacity etc. - while evaluated beforehand - were not taken into account. EADS, which had the cheaper offer in 2008, had already lowered prices from the previous level, but Boeing with the smaller and somewhat less capable 767 was able to underbid them this time. No surprive given the size of the aircraft and the way the bidding process was structured.

However having EADS in the running saved the taxpayer a heck of a lot of money.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Wichita Kansas will get some of the work....with a Boeing win.

With the C-17 coming to an end in the Long Beach CA facility maybe something will be done out here.

[newzjunkey]

Boeing wins? Big surprise. Will they get it built? I’m still waiting for them to deliver the first 787 to a customer.