AWST (Ares):
USAF KC-X Bid Deadline Extended 60 Days
The Pentagon will extend the deadline for bids for the USAF KC-X to July 9, another 60 days for industry to prepare proposals. The move comes as EADS has leaked its interest in bidding for the beleaguered aerial refueling tanker program against Boeing.
“We consider 60 days to be reasonable in this case,” Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell just told reporters there. The Air Force will compress its bid evaluation period, so it can still award a contract this fall as planned. Morrell said such an extension would not come without serious expectation of dueling bids. Separately, one industry consultant told Aviation Week this week that EADS officials were busy preparing a bid..........
Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) is not amused, but Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) said it was right on.
"This is completely unacceptable," Murray said minutes after the press briefing ended. "This extension means that we are once again bending the rules for a company that has refused to play by them. Holding the door open to an illegally-subsidized foreign company is the wrong move for our men and women in uniform, our workers, and our economy."
Shelby praised the Pentagon. "A sole-sourced contract would have served only Boeing's interests," he said. "The presence of a competitor better serves the interest of our warfighters and American taxpayers. It is my hope that EADS will be able to offer a competitive bid, despite the fact that the RFP has been skewed toward Boeing from the beginning."
EADS Statement Regarding KC-X Proposal Deadline Extension
ARLINGTON, VA--(March 31, 2010) - EADS North America has issued the following statement regarding the Defense Department's offer to extend by 60 days the proposal deadline for the Air Force KC-X aerial refueling tanker competition:
"Since the Department of Defense indicated their interest in EADS' participation as prime contractor in the KC-X tanker competition, the company has carefully assessed the many requirements necessary to participate. We have firmly indicated that a 90-day extension would be the minimum time necessary to prepare a responsible proposal for this $40 billion program. We will consider the Department's decision to offer a 60-day extension."