I’ll agree with that statement. The USAF was pressured or someone was. Think they need to look at some employee’s bank accounts, or if they have been offered a job after they are planning to retire ie a major command general.
reading the GAO verdict the EADS plane cannot perform certain emergency proccedures, cannot refuel certain types of aircraft, has boom envelope problems and a unproven boom.
Pressured?
Yes. . . .McCain.
Not employees, not anyone on the line or in the command.
SAF/AQ (Payton) had much pressure by McCain to keep EADS in the game, and Gen Hoffman responded to that pressure as well.
It was in the directions to the source selection committee where the waters got muddied and the members of the committee, while “blind” to who they were evaluating, they received guidance that clearly favored EADS, and this guidance did not adhere to the RFP.
Thing is, they errored big time in their effort to ensure a competitive bidding process——all because of McCain pushing EADS because he didn’t want a default to Boeing.
Nothing more sinister than that.
Straight forward McCain interference.