Ol' Bubba must really be beginning to squirm more than a twisty-turny thing.
A 7-late-7 derivative? How short some people's memories are....
From
Flight International 25-31 May 2004, page 37:
For the mid- to long-term, Boeing insists that the 767 remains its choice for the next USAF tanker. The recently launched 7E7, although a 767 replacement, is designed for long-range point-to-point routes and is unsuitable for the tanker mission, says Boeing senior vice-president and general manager air force systems, George Muellner.
"The issue is not composites, but its configuration," he says, adding that futuristic concepts such as the blended wing-body will not be available until "2015 at least". Focus remains on the 767, says Muellner, who adds that the "spiral development" potential of the KC-767A makes it "much more than just a tanker". The USAF "wants a 'smart' tanker, which will work as a communication node in the network, and a relay for ground communications systems."
Be
really 'smart', USAF, don't choose between Ol' Bubba's risky 767NoGo and a 7-late-7 with 'configuration' issues of Boeing's own admission. Reselect the original KC-X winner, the superb Airbus KC-45A.