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EADS Plans To Bid For Tanker Contract

Written by thomas · Filed Under Defense 

April 21, 2010

thomas

The European Aeronautic Defence and Space
Company(EADS) has relaunched its bid to supply
the US Air Force with a new aerial refueling tankers.
EADS intends to submit a proposal on July 9 in a
bid that is valued $35 billion.
Ralph Crosby, chairman of EADS North America said
that EADS felt “almost compelled” to enter the
competition to offer its A-330-based tanker.
EADS will now bid as the prime contractor for the
project. Its partner Northrop Grumman dropped out
six weeks ago, amid complaints that Washington
was engaging in protectionism that favored Boeing.
EADS had tried but failed to line up another American
partner to take Northrop’s place.
Northrop and EADS won a previous US tanker contract
in 2008, but the Pentagon canceled the deal after
government auditors upheld a protest by Boeing that
errors were made in the bid process.
The competing companies now have until July 9 to
submit their bids.
The Pentagon welcomed the renewed competition
for the tanker replacement program, and said it
expected to decide on a winner for the supply of
179 planes by early fall.
By choosing to compete, EADS could ensure solid relations
from the Pentagon in the future even if it lost the tanker
contract.
The Air Force see the KC-X aircraft as crucial to reinforcing
American air power and are anxious to replace the older Boeing
KC-135 Stratotankers that date back to the 1950’s.

Israel Rafalovich

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