Posted on 07/09/2008 12:15:52 PM PDT by jazusamo
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced Wednesday that Northrop Grumman and Boeing will have to submit revised proposals for the Air Forces highly contested aerial refueling tanker program.
The Pentagon chief's decision comes after the Government Accountability Office (GAO) upheld Boeing's protest of the Air Force's decision to award the contract to Northrop Grumman and EADS North America, the parent company of Boeing rival Airbus.
I have concluded that the contract cannot be awarded, Gates said at a Pentagon news conference. Northrop Grumman won the heated competition on Feb. 29, but is currently under a stop-work order.
The decision means Boeing could win the contract. After it lost the initial decision, it opened a risky lobbying and public relations battle against the Air Forces decision in the hope of overturning it.
The Pentagon had 60 days to decide how to heed the GAO's recommendations, but intense pressure from Capitol Hill likely sped up the decision by several weeks. Congress is to hear testimony on the GAO report on Thursday.
Boeing's congressional supporters used the GAO's ruling to push the Pentagon to reopen the competition. In its report, GAO said the Air Force made "significant errors" in its selection process.
Gates said John Young, the Pentagon's top weapons buyer and a former Senate Appropriations Defense staff member, would be in charge of the tanker selection. Air Force officials were in charge when the contract was awarded to Northrop Grumman.
The Air Force will still be in charge of the program once a contractor is selected, Gates said.
Young said that the Pentagon will issue a draft request for proposals that will address all of the GAO's findings. The Pentagon is not starting the competition from scratch but is asking the bidders to modify their proposals to address the GAO concerns. Young stressed that he wanted to see as few areas as possible changed in the request for proposals.
The Pentagon will issue the draft request at the end of the month or the beginning of August. Young expects to select the winner by the end of the year.
Young was not clear how the Pentagon will handle the fact that a contract already was signed with Northrop.
Gates said that he hoped the Pentagon's way forward on the tanker program would restore confidence among lawmakers who have been increasingly critical of the Air Force's ability to select a new tanker the service's No. 1 priority.
“Flyby Wire.. ever heard of emp.. kills them systems quick.”
Yet fly by wire is OK for F-16’s, F-22’s, F-35’s, B-2’s, F-117’s, C-17’s, F/A-18’s, and other military aircraft?
Too bad that you have more than shown that you havn’t got a single clue as to what you’re talking about, or you’d know that the Air Force requires all avionics including FBW systems to meet MIL-STD-1553B or the newer optical based MIL-STD-1773.
“I have more than posted links proving my point.”
You only posted links in your last 2 posts, and they still don’t prove squat.
“You have provided ZERO”
Like you should talk.
“except EXTREME BDS”
And in your case it’s been extreme BS.
Yet fly by wire is OK for F-16s, F-22s, F-35s, B-2s, F-117s, C-17s, F/A-18s, and other military aircraft?
BECAUSE THEY ARE SHIELDED. THE KC-30 IS NOT compaired to the KC-767.
Too bad that you have more than shown that you havnt got a single clue as to what youre talking about, or youd know that the Air Force requires all avionics including FBW systems to meet MIL-STD-1553B or the newer optical based MIL-STD-1773.
Thats not gonna cover all the other systems. And there FLY BY WIRE SYSTEM IS NOT.
You only posted links in your last 2 posts, and they still dont prove squat
Then you must need glasses.
Yawn.
“BECAUSE THEY ARE SHIELDED. THE KC-30 IS NOT”
How do YOU know it isn’t?
“Thats not gonna cover all the other systems. And there FLY BY WIRE SYSTEM IS NOT.”
If it’s in a military aircraft IT DOES cover the systems.
“Then you must need glasses.”
And you need a clue.
If its in a military aircraft IT DOES cover the systems
No its not..its a comercial off the shelf airplane with FEW emp upgrades.
Knock off the personal attacks. All of you. Don’t make me come back here. This thread will look like it suffered an airstrike.
Ping
From both links:
“Boeing today said”
As far as the other links you posted above...
The first one isn’t credible at all since it’s from one of boeing’s own unions.
The Michele Malkin one actually lends more support for what I’ve been saying.
Jed Babbin’s is laughable at best since he’s parroting boeing’s propaganda. He doesn’t even mention the fact that the Air Force IS looking for a larger more capable tanker as was stated by general handy before he was bought by boeing.
The two remaining links have zero credibility since one is huffington post, and the other is a site with ties to democratic underground and daily kos.
Interesting. The link shows he had no interest in the tanker contract for two years before March, when Boeing lost the competition and presumably recruited him.
and you are right and everyone else is wrong.
otay..
tennis shoes check purple vail check.. Hale Bopp
Look at post 466.
Look at post 466.
You are the one ..
We have shown that you are incorrect and you attack attack and attack. even when there are links proving.
Ummmm no.
I guess you missed the point that the production line is moving here
well here are somemore links to support the FACT that it will be BUILT IN EUROPE AND SHIPPED TO ALABAMA!!!!!!!
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Defense_Focus_Air_tanker_war_Part_4_999.html
http://www.businessfacilities.com/blog/labels/international.html
Too bad that you have more than shown that you havnt got a single clue as to what youre talking about,
I guess all the experts are too.. And also the GAO supported the claim and so did the USAF after the FACT.
http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?printable=1&ContentBlockID=95786b17-eda7-40ba-8959-3fe7fad5040a
http://www.global-defence.com/2007/Utilities/news.php?cmd=View&id=6850
No. Nothing of the sort is "shown".
What you are apparently deriving from an absence of prior specific commentary, is only what you apparently wish to. Which is a logical fallacy. As is well understood by logicians..."An absence of evidence, is not evidence of absence." I.e., his disapproval of the EADs bid did not need to be published until it became evident that it absolutely had to be opposed.
... when Boeing lost the competition and presumably recruited him.
My, you presume a lot.
Here we go again
wanna bet someone got some EADS perks or a job offer.
This needs to go to the Fed courts or congress needs to shut it down.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2057941/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2057905/posts
take a gander
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