Posted on 12/06/2016 6:45:36 AM PST by Fennie
President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday ripped Boeing for the cost of a new Air Force One plane, calling for the contract to be cancelled.
"Boeing is building a brand new 747 Air Force One for future presidents, but costs are out of control, more than $4 billion. Cancel order!" Trump tweeted.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
They’ll be on his front stoop in short order asking what they can do to save the order.
Yep, I have the feeling that savings will be found in short order.
How is that Boeing deal going?
Does the contract money include the commo and jamming gear?
These are the kinds of things that drive the costs, and Trump is absolutely right in cancelling the order. However, I place the blame on the government, not Boeing, and Boing should be compensated for their costs to date. It is the government bureaucracies that drive up costs, not business.
“Does the contract money include the commo and jamming gear?”
The high costs must include all the unique features, which likely include defensive equipment. Also the current practice is to have 2 essentially duplicate aircraft, so that’s probably also a reason for the high costs.
Sounds more like a shot across Boeing’s bow. Let the negotiations begin. I’m sure there’s a lot that can be negotiated once Trump is in office, also imagine there are a lot of crazy requirements in place simply because it’s a Government contract, much of which a little thought would lead to the conclusion they are either not necessary or the objective could be accomplished in a much cheaper manner.
Long ago I was a project engineer on a major defense contract that had a problem because a particular reporting requirement had not been flowed down to subcontractors. Took a look at what was being required and discussed it with my Government counterpart who was to receive the reports, figured out a better way to get what he really needed and submitted the first Value Engineering Change proposal for that program - saved $8M which was split between the USG and the contractor. There are likely lots of opportunities.
I’d think a formation of several identical-looking planes would be safer because because the bad guys wouldn’t know which one had the president.
How many planes with spare parts are they building for that price?
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