Boeing to protest KC-X

Originally posted by porkchop817
If they have decided that what they need is a tanker that has decent cargo capabalities also, then great, the KC-30 is what we need. But in my opinion what we need is a TANKER, if we need more cargo capabilities, buy more C-17s to lighten the load off the workhorses they are driving into the ground overseas now.

The reason you have tankers that haul cargo is for when you deploy fighters anywhere. That way the crew chiefs and at least SOME important spares arrive with the fighters. Otherwise you not only tie up airlift that could be used elsewhere, but you risk the spares and crew chiefs sitting somewhere for three days being fixed while your fighters are delayed waiting for them because no one on that particular base is qualified to work on that type of fighter so all they can do is refuel them.

www.defensetech.org...

First of all, the official told me the Air Force had formally submitted a request to the GAO to throw out the Boeing protest on Wednesday.

This is different from an earlier request to dismiss. That one concerned issues Boeing had brought up in their protest that the Air Force considered invalid, such as WTO conflicts and government subsidies.

GAO rejected that request for dismissal, so the Air Force compiled its case against the Boeing protest on the merits of the company's specific allegations, this official told me. The service has asked the GAO to dismiss the protest in its entirety.

so now the USAF ant the boeing protest thrown out entirely as wasting everyones time and money

Oh for christ sake. At this rate we MIGHT have a new tanker by the time the -135 is 100. The GAO has found "irregularities" in the contract process for the KC-45. It's possible that they may recommend that they start the process over again. Their recommendations aren't binding, but the USAF is expected to follow them.

Boeing and Northrop Grumman may be forced compete all over again for a contract worth up to $35 billion to supply up to 179 tankers to the US Air Force.

US Government Accountability Office (GAO) auditors investigating a protest filed by losing bidder Boeing have found irregularities in the acquisition process that led to the USAF’s selection of the Northrop/EADS North America KC-30 tanker.

Source


GAO report

[edit on 6/18/2008 by Zaphod58]