Originally Posted by
UltraFan
USAF is now looking at all those A330MRTT flying around the world without a hitch and thinking, DAMN, we should've chosen that. Or maybe thinking, we should be picking our equipment instead of those DC appropiation committees. To which I completely agree!
I do seem to recall that at the time of letting the KC-46 contract, there was a great deal of angst that the Airbus bid had been the winning bid, until "Uncle" Ted Stevens (R. AK), who at the time was the chairman of the US Senate Transportation Committee required both Boeing and Airbus to re-submit their bids. Surprise! Surprise! Boeing got the contract, and the US taxpayer got stung with a modified B767 and a huge and unnecessary increased bill.