EADS tells Pentagon it might still vie for tanker deal

Reuters ^ | 3/18/2010 | Reuters

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Europe's EADS has told the Pentagon of its possible interest in continuing to vie for a multibillion-dollar contract for a new U.S. aerial refueling fleet despite the end of a trans-Atlantic partnership formed to bid, the Pentagon said on Thursday.The Defense Department would welcome an EADS bid and would consider a "reasonable extension" to the May deadline for bids if necessary, said Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary, in an emailed statement.

Absent a bid involving Airbus parent EADS , rival Boeing Co is poised to win a sole-source contract to build up to 179 refueling planes and compete for follow-on orders in future decades.

[oldbill]

It was all a bluff on EADS part.

[J Edgar]

I hope they participate and I hope they lose because they are totally phonie! IMHO - sorry Alabama machinists!

[shawnlaw]

NG bowed out, not EADS. EADS must have found a congress critter to sponsor them, maybe McCainiac...

[wolf78]

EADS really wants that American assembly line to insulate itself against currency fluctuations. However this would mean that European EADS/Airbus would be the primary contractor, not Northrop Grumman, making a Boeing win even more likely.

But even in this case, at least a competing bid will safe the American taxpayer some billions and that's a good thing.