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The Air Force Tanker Deal
American Thinker ^ | 12 March 2008 | Thomas Lifson

Posted on 03/12/2008 9:01:43 AM PDT by K-oneTexas

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1 posted on 03/12/2008 9:01:45 AM PDT by K-oneTexas
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To: K-oneTexas

Apparently the infamous Murtha was in on this.


2 posted on 03/12/2008 9:04:00 AM PDT by RightWhale (Clam down! avoid ataque de nervosa)
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To: K-oneTexas
It takes a lot of chutzpa for Boeing, who tried to cheat to get this deal, to whine about losing the contract to a much better design by Northrup and EADS.

For Pete's sake, several Boeing officials and an Air Force official went to jail trying to game the bidding for Boeing.

Tears in your beer, Boeing.

3 posted on 03/12/2008 9:06:36 AM PDT by CWW (Make the most of the loss, and regroup for 2008!!)
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To: CWW
It takes a lot of chutzpa for Boeing, who tried to cheat to get this deal, to whine about losing the contract to a much better design by Northrup and EADS.

Bears repeating.

4 posted on 03/12/2008 9:10:14 AM PDT by rhombus
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To: CWW

“It takes a lot of chutzpa for Boeing, who tried to cheat to get this deal, to whine about losing the contract to a much better design by Northrup and EADS.”

Cheat? The Air Force had to change the RFP at the last minute so that Northrup even qualified to submit a bid.

Airbus sells a fraction of the planes Boeing does on the open market. Boeing clearly has the superior product.


5 posted on 03/12/2008 9:16:04 AM PDT by driftdiver
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To: K-oneTexas
This is for the first time ever someone speaking the truth at Pan Am we started in having problems with the A300. We applied to the FAA got approval inside 30 days to use floor track manufactured in Hialeah Florida that was not only a perfect substitute but it out lasted the Airbus parts.

Airbus France and GM-FORD-CHRYSLER are all suffering from the same problem good workers but complacent in there every day work ethic. Workers of America heed the downfall of Eastern Airlines. You cannot expect business to survive when they have to pay a guy or gal 15 bucks an hour to push a broom.

Boeing did the crime they must pay. The people of Washington State look down on the US Military with absolute disdain now its time for payback.
Berkley Cal is next.

6 posted on 03/12/2008 9:21:34 AM PDT by straps (Its time to stop the lies. You do the crime you do the time!)
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To: K-oneTexas
If there are any critical parts which could not be readily produced by non-European manufacturers, adequate stockpiles could readily be maintained. Keep in mind that the United States has had a decades-long effort to isolate Iran economically, yet that has not stopped the Iranians from flying Boeing 747 airliners in Iran Air's fleet.

Here's a link to a thread I posted almost two years ago.

Iran Overhauls Five 747 Bowings
ISNA - Tehran (Iranian Students News Agency) ^ | 07-09-2006 | Staff

Posted on 07/10/2006 11:04:37 AM CDT by Paleo Conservative

7 posted on 03/12/2008 9:29:34 AM PDT by Paleo Conservative
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To: K-oneTexas
AvLeak called Boeing's design “Frankentanker”. I guess, as far as better tankers are concerned, the A330 was the right decision.
8 posted on 03/12/2008 9:33:02 AM PDT by lmailbvmbipfwedu
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To: driftdiver; CWW; K-oneTexas
Airbus sells a fraction of the planes Boeing does on the open market. Boeing clearly has the superior product.

The proposed 767 couldn't take off from a 7000' runway with a full load of fuel. The 767 tanker would be great if if you had a conflict in Europe and could use existing NATO air bases desinged around the KC-135. If you have a conflict in some remote part of the world like Afghanistan, it would be nice to have the ability to have a tanker that can take off from runways that exist in places like Kandahar.

9 posted on 03/12/2008 9:38:58 AM PDT by Paleo Conservative
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To: RightWhale

How so? was Lockheed-Martin involved?


10 posted on 03/12/2008 9:43:22 AM PDT by Perdogg (Reagan would have never said "She's my girl")
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To: Perdogg

Don’t know. Not familiar with any details as yet, but it might become necessary if this deal blows up.


11 posted on 03/12/2008 9:47:58 AM PDT by RightWhale (Clam down! avoid ataque de nervosa)
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To: K-oneTexas
Despite those misunderstandings, Boeing said it scored identical marks to Northrop on the five main criteria of the competition, contradicting Air Force officials who have said that the Northrop bid was superior on all but one of the criteria.

This is an interesting claim and should be easily verified or refuted. If Boeing is truly claiming this and it is refuted, it will greatly harm their credibility for other claims. But I also note that Reuters is reporting this and I don't trust them to get their facts straight.

12 posted on 03/12/2008 9:48:49 AM PDT by 17th Miss Regt
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To: K-oneTexas
Despite those misunderstandings, Boeing said it scored identical marks to Northrop on the five main criteria of the competition, contradicting Air Force officials who have said that the Northrop bid was superior on all but one of the criteria.

This is an interesting claim and should be easily verified or refuted. If Boeing is truly claiming this and it is refuted, it will greatly harm their credibility for other claims. But I also note that Reuters is reporting this and I don't trust them to get their facts straight.

13 posted on 03/12/2008 9:50:39 AM PDT by 17th Miss Regt
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To: Paleo Conservative

“If you have a conflict in some remote part of the world like Afghanistan, it would be nice to have the ability to have a tanker that can take off from runways that exist in places like Kandahar.”

Do you have adequate fuel in Kandahar to load the tankers with?

None of which changes the fact that Boeing sells more plane on the competitive market than Airbus. That means Boeing has a better product.

It also doesn’t change the fact that Northrup couldn’t meet the requirements until they got the Air Force to amend the request.


14 posted on 03/12/2008 9:56:36 AM PDT by driftdiver
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To: Paleo Conservative

Didn’t you used to live in Washington state and post a number of Boeing related threads?

Did you change employers?


15 posted on 03/12/2008 9:59:22 AM PDT by SeaHawkFan
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To: SeaHawkFan

I’ve never lived in Washington sate. I still live in Texas.


16 posted on 03/12/2008 10:04:00 AM PDT by Paleo Conservative
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To: driftdiver
None of which changes the fact that Boeing sells more plane on the competitive market than Airbus. That means Boeing has a better product.

The A330 has outsold the 767 big time since the A330/A340 came into service in the early 1990's. If Boeing made such competitive products, why did United order the A320 to replace its 727's? It wasn't till Boeing developed the "Next Generation" 737 models ten years later with an entirely new wing that they stemmed the loss of orders for their narrow bodied planes.

17 posted on 03/12/2008 10:11:42 AM PDT by Paleo Conservative
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To: driftdiver
Ugh . . . I'm usually proud to have worked for Northrop Grumman . . . but not on this.

The Air Force is still stinging from the Boeing 767 tanker lease agreement disaster of a few years ago. It's not surprising that they may have changed the rules to be able to choose "anyone but Boeing" this time around. If anyone discounts the Air Force's need to distance itself from Boeing, they are living in wonderland.

There's nothing fair or equitable about the Airbus-Boeing commercial battle. Airbus is subsidized by EU governments just to be able to compete against a superior Boeing product. Now our Air Force has chosen Airbus (quite possibly unfairly) in their competition with Boeing on this military contract - and, consequently, helped Airbus on the commercial front.

This is an embarrassment and a bad deal for Americans and their tax dollars - for decades to come.

18 posted on 03/12/2008 10:16:35 AM PDT by DesertSapper (God, Family, Country . . . . . . . . . . and dead terrorists!!!)
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To: K-oneTexas

bump


19 posted on 03/12/2008 10:20:02 AM PDT by VOA
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Comment #20 Removed by Moderator


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