Free Republic

Will AF tanker award be delayed again? Analyst Scott Hamilton has this interesting post about the possibility of the U.S. Air Force aerial refueling tanker contest award slipping to 2012. The Air Force is expected to name a winner of the $35 billion contest between the Boeing Co., EADS and duo U.S. Aerospace and Antonov later this year. The award date already has slipped from late summer to Nov. 12 (a slide the Air Force initially denied). [...]

The Times has reported that Argentina “is taking control over all shipping between its coast and the Falkand Islands, effectively awarding itself the power to blockade the disputed territory.” As The Times notes, “According to a decree issued by President Kirchner, all ships sailing through the waters claimed by Argentina must hold a permit. The measure looks set to deepen a row over conflicting claims to oil beds lying inside the Falklands’ territorial waters… Today’s decree amounts to an Argentinian move to control all traffic from South America towards the islands, including an oil rig due to arrive today and...

A new jet fighter seen as Russia's response to U.S. advances in military aviation made a successful first test flight on Friday, plane maker Sukhoi said Friday. The "fifth-generation" fighter — Russia's first all-new warplane since Soviet times — flew for about 45 minutes, Sukhoi spokeswoman Olga Kayukova said on Rossia television. "The plane performed very well. All our expectations for this first flight were met," Kayukova said. "The premiere was a success." Analysts have said it would probably be five to seven years before Russia's military gets to fly the first of the new fighters. [...]

New Delhi: Boeing Co said Monday it had received initial requests for information (RFI) from the Indian government for the supply of six refuelling tankers. The announcement comes on the back of an announcement earlier this month that the US government had received a letter of request from India's ministry of defence for acquisition of 10 C-17 Globemaster-III advanced air transporters. [...] India is one of the world's top importers of arms and is currently engaged in modernizing its largely Soviet-era fleet of AN-32 and Il-76 air transporters.

"Mr. President, I wish to share a few other thoughts [...] Earlier, one of our colleagues, Senator Murray, for whom I have great admiration, I understand told NPR: All things considered, I have stood on the line in Everett, Washington, where we have thousands of workers who go to work every day to build these planes. I would challenge anybody to tell me that they stood on a line in Alabama and seen anybody build anything. [...] DOD’s latest acquisition strategy for the KC-X aerial refueling tanker replacement competition is, unfortunately, deeply flawed. Instead of the modern, multirole, game-changing, transformational...

The Pentagon's top weapons buyer said the proposed aerial refueling tankers from both Northrop Grumman and Boeing were "technically outstanding" but differed by almost $3 billion on price. John Young, the undersecretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, said in an interview at the Pentagon yesterday that under the tanker proposal from Northrop Grumman and its partner European Aeronautic Defence & Space, developing the first 68 aircraft would have cost $12.5 billion, compared with $15.4 billion under Boeing's plan.

Elements of Boeing's proposed upgrade package for transforming the C-17A into a more suitable theatre transport could be added piecemeal rather than in a single, $2 billion development package, a company executive says. That detail could be a key factor for the "C-17B" concept to gain joint US Air Force and US Army approval, and, thus, to preserve the life of the production line far into the next decade. Boeing has identified eight major upgrades required to make the C-17B a true tactical airlifter. The package includes higher thrust engines and double-slotted flaps for "extreme" short-field landings adding a centre...

Word that Boeing is strongly considering a “no bid” position for the next round of the U.S. Air Force refueling tanker competition is spreading only two days after the Pentagon released the revised KC-X draft request for proposals (RFP). Multiple sources familiar with Boeing’s internal discussions say company officials are strongly considering the option of not submitting a proposal as the company’s Integrated Defense Systems sector tries to respond to the draft RFP within the government’s speedy timeline. Comments are due this week. The move would leave the Defense Dept. without a competition for the KC-135 tanker replacement. A demand...

Deadline to submit bid is just two months away WASHINGTON – The Pentagon on Wednesday requested new bids on a $35 billion contract for aerial refueling tankers, but Boeing supporters on Capitol Hill complained that the revised criteria seem to favor the rival European airplane. [...] “It’s obviously stacked against Boeing,” said Loren Thompson, an analyst with the Lexington Institute, a Virginia-based think tank that focuses on national security and defense issues. “It appears to favor a larger aircraft in a way the original did not. But the timeline doesn’t give Boeing an opportunity to prepare a bid for a...

``If Boeing loses at the GAO, I'll bet you will see this in the Court of Federal Claims,'' said Lieberman, author of ``Elements of Government Contracting.'' ``If Boeing went up there and said the GAO got it wrong and asked for an injunction, I think the court would grant it.''

The aging planes of United, American, and Delta guzzle more gas and make the U.S. carriers more vulnerable to soaring oil prices—and to their global competitors For a look at one of the biggest headaches facing U.S. airlines, head out to Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport any day and watch the big jets taking off for the U.S. There goes United Airlines to Chicago, American Airlines to Boston, Delta Air Lines to Atlanta, and Air France to New York's John F. Kennedy airport. What's the big deal? Many of the U.S. carriers' planes are Boeing 767s, a model that dates...

A labor union of technical engineers issued an 11-page “white paper” today ripping the USAF tanker contract award to Northrop Grumman and the KC-30 over the Boeing KC-767. The two page press release summarizes the white paper findings. The press release focuses entirely on EADS, parent of Airbus and maker of the A330-200 on which Northrop’s offering of the KC-30 is based. Northrop’s identified as a “minority” partner. (During a conference several months ago, Northrop acknowledged that about 50% of the contract revenues flow to EADs/Airbus. Engines, in this case provided by GE (an American company), typically represent about 20%...

Russia's first entirely new commercial plane for some time, the Superjet 100, has completed its maiden flight. The plane, which will be able to carry between 75 and 110 passengers, must make about 100 incident-free journeys before being deemed to be airworthy. Built by Russian manufacturer Sukhoi, the first planes are due to be delivered at the end of 2008 but the project has been hit by delays. China, Japan and India are all seeking to become mid-range planemakers.

In another blow to Boeing Co.'s battered defense business, the U.S. Air Force on Thursday tapped rival Lockheed Martin Corp. for a contract potentially worth more than $3.5 billion to build a new generation of global positioning satellites. Chicago-based Boeing, which has a huge workforce in Southern California, would have made the satellites in El Segundo. The loss of the contract, known as Global Positioning System IIIA, was Boeing's third high-profile defeat in as many months. The company lost a $35-billion contest to build aerial refueling tankers for the Air Force in February and a $3.74-billion award to build unmanned...

Although The Boeing Co.'s 787 Dreamliner may be only 15 months or so behind schedule, delivery delays will be as much as twice that long for some customers that bought the fuel-efficient composite jet. The extent of the delivery delays, which likely will cost Boeing several billion dollars in penalty payments, became more apparent Thursday when two important 787 customers disclosed just how late their planes will be. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the parent of International Lease Financial Corp., the biggest customer for the 787 with 74 on order, disclosed that its planes will be...

Air Canada will have to wait at least two years longer than originally expected to take delivery of its first 787 Dreamliner, the airline revealed on Thursday. The Boeing Co. has told Air Canada that it will deliver the first of the 37 aircraft it has on order at least 24 to 30 months later than the carrier had previously expected, at the earliest in January 2012. Air Canada will be seeking compensation from Boeing for the delays, Montie Brewer, Air Canada chief executive, told a conference call on Thursday. In April, Boeing announced that the first deliveries of the...

Not all quite on the tankern front. “US GAO begins hearing on Northrop/EADS tanker deal”http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSN0539240420080505 “A GAO spokesman confirmed the start of the hearing, but gave no details. The congressional agency, which reviews contract disputes, is due to rule on the case by June 19. The hearing includes lawyers from Boeing, Northrop, and the Air Force, with three GAO officials hearing the various arguments, according to three sources familiar with the case, who said it could last all week. “This hearing will go on for days and days,” said one of the sources, who asked not to be named. “Each...

PAUL KANGAS: At its annual meeting in Chicago today, the Boeing Company assured shareholders its hot-selling 787 will take off late next year. The fuel-efficient jet has been plagued with production problems and some analysts think there could be further delays down the road. Diane Eastabrook has more from Chicago. DIANE EASTABROOK, NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT CORRESPONDENT: Boeing Company Chairman and CEO James McNerny kicked off the company's annual meeting today touting Boeing's recent earnings successes. But McNerney quickly turned his attention to the topic on the minds of most Boeing shareholders: the delayed delivery of the new 787 Dreamliner. JAMES...

WASHINGTON, April 22 (Reuters) Los Angeles-based Northrop Grumman Corp won a $1.16 billion contract to modify its high-altitude unmanned Global Hawk surveillance plane into a new maritime patrol aircraft, the Navy said on Tuesday. Northrop beat out Lockheed Martin Corp and Boeing Co to win the deal, which runs through September 2014 and covers three unmanned test planes and an option for three low-rate initial production planes. The Navy plans to buy 68 Global Hawks under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) program over the coming years, in a deal Navy officials said would be worth at least $3.74 billion,...

Highlighting reasons the U.S. Air Force selected the KC-45 Tanker as best for our men and women in uniform. WASHINGTON, April 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — The U.S. Air Force found Northrop Grumman's bid to build the next generation of aerial refueling tankers superior to Boeing's in four of the five most important selection criteria. Despite this fact, the losing bidder wants the Government Accountability Office to overturn the Air Force decision to award the contract to Northrop Grumman. Starting today and regularly in the coming weeks, “Why We Won” will provide detailed examples of why Northrop Grumman was selected, drawing...