Things still moving along, albeit slowly....
REUTERS: Britain Preparing to Sign Refueling Plane Contract
The British government is to sign in the next few days a contract for refueling aircraft worth $24.6 billion, the French newspaper La Tribune reported March 16. The British defense ministry is to finalize the deal, which includes aircraft and servicing for 27 years, before asking for final approval from the finance ministry.
The order will be placed in the next month with the AirTanker consortium, which includes European aerospace group EADS, French group Thales and British companies Rolls Royce, Cobham, and VT Group.
The contract is to include an order for about 15 Airbus A330-200 planes for the refueling of the Royal Air Force (RAF).
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DefenseNews: Financial Bids for U.K. Tanker Competition Pending
PARIS: A financial competition for Britain’s acquisition of Airbus A330 military tankers under the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) program is expected to open in the coming weeks, a spokesman for the AirTanker consortium said March 16.
“We are optimistic the next stage of the process can begin in the next few weeks,” said a consortium spokesman, confirming a report in French daily La Tribune.
The next stage is the financial competition, in which banks submit proposals under public-private partnership rules to fund acquisition of the A330s. Under the deal, the Royal Air Force’s in-flight refueling needs for the next 27 years will be met under a lease arrangement held by the consortium.
A signing of the FSTA contract was contingent on the outcome of the financial competition....