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Northrop will bid on $40B Air Force tanker contract
WASHINGTON - Northrop Grumman Corp. on Thursday said it will compete against Boeing Co. for a $40 billion Air Force contract to replace 179 aerial refueling planes, ending speculation there might be just one bidder.
The Los Angeles-based company had hinted as recently as last week it might bow out, saying Air Force specifications seemed to favor Boeing. But on Thursday Northrop said it was satisfied with changes the Air Force made to address its concerns in the formal request for bids.
Northrop will partner with European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co., the parent company of Boeing's arch rival, Airbus.
The $40 billion contract to replace 179 refueling planes is just the first of an expected three-phase deal that calls for more than 500 planes and is worth an estimated $100 billion.
Source
Originally posted by WestPoint23
Personally I think Boeing will still win the contract but Northrop Grumman may get rewarded via other programs for deciding to run.
Originally posted by ShatteredSkies
I remember reading a thread a while back on ATS that Northrop and EADS dropped out of the competition...
Originally posted by toreishi
tankers perform a very important role in the war zone and can be considered by the enemy as high value targets, is there any possibility that future tankers might have LO tech and stealth incorporated into them to ensure their survivability?
These capabilities will help the tanker to refuel everything from fighter aircraft to unmanned air vehicles and helicopters.
Originally posted by toreishi
thanks for the clarification and the links WP23
now why does this remind me of a dropship?
These capabilities will help the tanker to refuel everything from fighter aircraft to unmanned air vehicles and helicopters.
methinks it would be great if they'll be able to launch, recover and rearm UAV's as well.
[edit on 12-2-2007 by toreishi]