KC-X tanker competition re-opened

dragon53 · Post by **dragon53** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 12:24 pm

Sec. of Defense Robert Gates ordered the competition for the USAF KC-X tanker competition to be re-opened after the GAO found the USAF improperly awarded the $35 billion contract to Northrop Grumman/EADS. Boeing, the losing competitor, filed a protest against the USAF's decision.
The Department of Defense, not the USAF, will oversee the new competition.

olifant · Post by **olifant** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 2:34 pm

I can almost see the Boeing workers 20 miles up North high fiving each other from my office window.

ChairmanMilo · Post by **ChairmanMilo** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 7:06 pm

So first it goes to Boeing improperly... and then it goes to Northrop Grumman/EADS improperly... this is just absolutely shamefully ridiculous. They have wasted so much money with the two competitions that they have already conducted and now they want to waste even more money with a third? Will Northrop-Grumman/EADS sue now too and drag out the tanker procurement process even longer? When the next contract is awarded, does this whole process start all over again with the loser filing yet another protest?

All the while the USAF is flying old tankers, some of which were built a half a century ago and all of which have seen more flying time than most squadrons of planes get before they're mothballed.

/end rant.

Seriously though, how long can this continue before someone starts looking out for the best interests of the USAF? These mindless political shenanigans are getting on my nerves... and I'm not even American!