Its official......

http://www.gao.gov/press/press-boeing2008jun18_3.pdf

Pretty bad news for McCain who would have been counting on jobs as a good news in southern states...

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/s...6/daily61.htmlAlso - SDD-2 has flown and awaits conversion. What happens to it and SDD-1 if Boeing gets the contract after all?

Sad day for the USAF, they're the real losers out of this. But it would appear that a stronger Boeing is more important than a stronger America.

If McCain wins in November would he be able to apply pressure 'in the national interest' to reverse or ignore this recommendation? only asking as the program will now be delayed for a few more years while fresh proposals are organised.

And whats Obama's point of view on this.

My focus on the political element on this matter is understandable due the up coming elections and the follow on effects of any decision.

With this and the CASR-X decision 'i pity da foo' that has to submit to tender any future large US DoD Projects.

The tragedy will be the loss of lives of real warfighters while politicians continue to argue for the sake of their own overstuffed pockets.

The process could now continue in one big closed loop. If NG win again then Boeing already know that they can protest and force another round, and if Boeing win next time then NG will surely protest and rely on the precedent already set by Boeing to force another round, and so it goes on. Meanwhile, Paddy McEvaddy will be onto a real winner over the next 10 years; fair play to him.

The biggest loser is the US Air Force.

If a new RFP is issued, another contest will ensue, meaning a possible second protest being lodged by the losing party, thus delaying manufacture and delivery of the tankers it so deperately seeks.

If this process keeps being pushed to the right will their become a point at which it becomes uneconomic for boeing to keep the 767 line open for it?

Obama is likely pro Boeing as Boeing states are mostly Blue States. (although given the way McCain's numbers are going they may all be Blue States soon)

I doubt it's a good idea for McCain or Obama to try and bully through a vendor for paperclips never mind tankers as the Armed Services Committee and others would have a collective $hitfit.

Labyrinthine
 

Stepehen Trimble on www.flightglobal.com has a good description of "Round One" (without NG/EADS) and the convolutions involved ... no wonder this round got stuck with an "Offside" call by the referee ... Makes me wonder if Boeing's been taking lessons from Greek mythology and the Minotaur .
Too right, it's USAF wot loses in all this - roll on the demos of A330 capability as the "Footsa" (City of London-like) comes on line, long before DC gets around to a "final" decision.
AirTanker could find itself with a whole lot of custom apart from any British needs ...
Meanwhile, stay tuned for Round 2 (or 3?).

Let's put all this in perspective:

Boeing gets caught with hand in till, oop's.

Possible presidential candidate looking for points.

FAR's, and common sense demand two participants for a "full and open competition" to take place.

Who else is out there: Antonov, Tupolev?

NG is approached, encouraged to bid. Only way to fullfull point #3, or reward Boing for bad behaviour, felony(s) and award, but it's election year.

Nobody honestly expected NG to win, period. The French, OOH la la!

But now we have Sarkovsky making I love the US noises.

Boing listen to one set of ex little generals, NG to another.

Guess which set of little ex generals had the most pull?

Don't despair, riding to the rescue of Boing is Made In The USA, yeah, right.

So now we have ignorant little congressmen running around in, guess what, election year, puffing up their chests as the lobbyists blow smoke up their a-sses.

Meanwhile, the fleet ages.

News flash: 6 weeks from now 50 congressmen and women cram onto a stage made for 10. One by one they flap their lips and smile at the cameras.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we have reviewed this matter, and in the interests of our fighting men and women, American Jobs and solidarity with Europe we hereby announce that NG and Boing have formed a joint venture to produce the next generation of tankers"

The name Boing used above is in satire.

And so, another never ending, ever escalating program is born. Because we have become a nation of whiners!

Brought to you by the folks at the funny shaped building, with love.

I've never understood the anti-French thing with the Americans. The Brits have a long history of warring with France, but America's only real involvement with them was during their own War of Independence, when the French were on their side,. In fact, I understand that France's involvement was a fairly decisive part of England losing. 200 years later, France refuses to join forces with the USA and suddenly they are all 'Cheese eating surrender monkeys'? Truth be told, it's only us Brits who really have a right to call them that.

Bunch of cheese eating surrender monkeys! :}

There was the little matter of France 'pulling chocks' early in WWII.

And De Gaulle saying 'p1ss off' in the 1960s.

But other than that......

--------------------------------------------------------------

McCain doesn't like the USAF and/or Boeing due to some stupidity and corruption in the last few years. He'd be fine with the Airbus, er, NG/Eads win.

Obama, from Illinios, where Boeing is headquartered and wanting the union vote, will support a Boeing win.

Meanwhile, the KC-135 soldiers on and on and on.....
-----------------------------------------------------------------

And to give the French credit, it was their money and their fleet outside Yorktown (situation greatly simplified for brevity's sake) that made the American Revolution a win for our side.

Seems our win had a big influence on them 'outing' Louis a few years later. Sorry about that....:ok:

Hit a tanker (KC-135R) Mon night...I believe the tail number was 57-something...

KC-45A
 

Meanwhile, the KC-135 soldiers on and on and on...

Well Folks,

I'll say it right up front- my employer is Northrop Grumman in Bethpage, NY (and for those who remember- Grumman Aerospace) and the Division here heads up the E-2C/D, EA-6B and now EA-18G.

Forget about my partisan feeling for the KC-45A, it's the men and women of the USAF who are flying these 50+ year old KC-135's admirably in their
tanking capacity that really counts.

They and the USAF Air Mobility Command are being hurt by this politicking and job issues so that invariably a delay of one to two years has now injected to the schedule. What a shame this has been!

Lee Norberg
Oakdale, NY
:(

Interesting article in todays Flightglobal, seems like Boeing did have good grounds to challenge the Air Farce decision.
Having been the recipient of a questionable Gov't agency decision in the past I can fully appreciate their feelings.

Sec. Gates announced today that the tanker contract will be reopened:

Full text here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/10/bu...l?ref=business

Now if the Air Force (or Pentagon) would kindly specify in the RFP the size and capability of the tanker they want, both contractors can submit their best proposals. :ok:

So when Boeing get awarded the contract, will EADS be allowed to object?.....









.....No, thought not.




Still, you have to admire the yanks, buy American, keep American jobs.:ok:

Are you implying that the US is a protectionist market ?
Surely not.....that would be hypocrisy wouldn't it ?

:yuk:
:yuk:
:yuk:

1. The ruling was made on the merits of the following of the rules of the RFP. Whether EADS/NG or Boeing is the better product is not within my area of expertise. Following the rules, however, is pretty clear cut.

The USAF pooching this twice now is a separate matter.

2. And you'd be any different if you had a British manufacturer still capable of building such?