Posted on 04/01/2010 9:05:09 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
Defense Department officials here March 31 informed companies interested in bidding on the KC-X aerial refueling tanker contract that if the European Aeronautics Defense and Space Co. formally expresses an intention to compete, the bidding deadline would be extended 60 days, the Pentagon press secretary said March 31.
"We are committed to a fair, open and transparent competition in order to get the best airplane to our warfighters at the best value to the taxpayers," Geoff Morrell announced in a late-afternoon news conference here.
Officials announced the final request for proposals, the Air Force requirements for the refueling tanker and a May 10 deadline last month. EADS recently expressed interest in the contract and requested a 90-day extension.
"It is not uncommon to grant a reasonable extension in competitions of this sort, and we consider 60 days to be reasonable," Mr. Morrell said.
The extension would give EADS and the Boeing Co., another company that has expressed interest, to submit their proposals by July 9.
Mr. Morrell also noted that the Pentagon is prepared to expedite the bid evaluation process to ensure production of the tanker begins in early fall.
"Given that this plane is long overdue, and we do not want its delivery date to slip later than it already has, we are prepared to compress our bid evaluation period to stay as close to the original award schedule as possible so as to still award the contract early this fall," he said.
The extension should not be confused with a "willingness to change any of the plane's military requirements or the way bids will be evaluated" in the future, he added, stressing that local and international politics did not influence the decision.
(Excerpt) Read more at af.mil ...
Why continue with this kabuki dance?
I do not know. We should had a tanker chosen a very long time ago.
“It is not uncommon to grant a reasonable extension in competitions of this sort, and we consider 60 days to be reasonable,” Mr. Morrell said.
How many programs of this size have received this extension? I’ll bet it’s not common.
Sorry N-G, I just don't see the 'rats letting their union buddies get beat out by N-G/EADS.
Waitin for the Russians to bid? Northrup, my old company says it's done screwing around with a rigged bid.
My last reading of Northrup's position was that they said......"stick it".
DoD Offers 60-day Deadline Extension on Tanker Bid if EADS will Participate
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Senator Richard Shelby issued a statement saying, "The Department of Defense made the right decision today in extending the deadline for bids on a new aerial refueling tanker. A sole-sourced contract would have served only Boeing's interests. The presence of a competitor better serves the interest of our war fighters and American taxpayers. It is my hope that EADS will be able to offer a competitive bid, despite the fact that the RFP has been skewed toward Boeing from the beginning."
However, Senator Patty Murray came down on the opposite side form Shelby and issued her own statement saying, "This is completely unacceptable. This extension means that we are once again bending the rules for a company that has refused to play by them. Holding the door open to an illegally-subsidized foreign company is the wrong move for our men and women in uniform, our workers, and our economy. Airbus has had ample time to compete for this contract and put forth a bid. A sixty-day extension is simply another Airbus delay tactic that comes at the expense of our workers and our service members."
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