Air Force Plans To Award Tanker Contract By January

Team Infidel

Forum Spin Doctor
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
October 26, 2007 The U.S. Air Force will likely award multibillion-dollar contracts early next year for two of its most closely watched programs -- the aerial refueling tanker and the rescue helicopter, service Secretary Michael Wynne said.
Wynne on Wednesday told the House Armed Services Committee that he anticipated awarding the $40 billion tanker contract by January and the $15 billion rescue helicopter contract by mid-February.
"That would be my goal," Wynne said.
The Boeing Co. and a team of Northrop Grumman Corp. and Airbus parent European Aeronautic, Defense and Space Co. are competing for the tanker program, which the Air Force says is its top acquisition priority.
The service plans to build 179 planes over 15 years to replace its Boeing-built KC-135 fleet, which has planes that are an average of 44 years old. The service is budgeting $13.9 billion to buy as many as 48 of the aircraft by the end of 2013.
 
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