Would Carry 350,000 Pounds Of Fuel... But Is That Too Much?

Boeing threw another airplane into the mix this week in its bid to win a lucrative USAF tanker contract. The American planemaker is offering its 777 airframe as another possible contender for the bid, in addition to the smaller 767 widebody.

Company reps announced the proposal at the Air Force Association conference in Washington on Tuesday. The Chicago-based planemaker is battling a team from Northrop-Grumman and Europe's EADS for a contract -- estimated to be worth $100-billion dollars, with first round production coming in at around one-fifth of that -- to replace and/or augment the Air Force's aging tanker fleet.

The Air Force released a draft request Monday for bids... but by design, that request outlined only vague requirements, and lacked specific details. The Air Force did say it wants more that just air refueling capability in any new tanker -- it also wants a troop and cargo hauler with medevac capability.

This is the first bid request for a new tanker from the Air Force since a previous tanker procurement scandal led to firings and prison terms for former Boeing executives, following a congressional investigation in 2004.

A Triple-7-based tanker is a big step for Boeing. The Chicago Tribune estimates the company has already invested a billion dollars in the KC-767 program -- and that doesn't include a $615 million payout this year to close the federal investigation into the procurement mess, as well as accusations Boeing stole proprietary rocket technology from Lockheed Martin.

A 777-based tanker program would mean an entirely new research and development program for Boeing... along with all the associated costs. Boeing's new proposal is already drawing fire from some analysts.

"The plane is too big," said Loren Thompson of the Lexington Institute. "It carries more fuel than the Air Force needs, and it can't land at many overseas bases."

A KC-777 tanker would carry over 350,000-pounds of fuel -- that's 150,000-pounds more than the current KC-135s can manage, and 100,000-pounds more than the competitor's Airbus A330-based proposal.

The KC-767 tanker would be slightly smaller than the EADS-Northrop plane. Boeing currently has 27 unfilled commercial orders for the passenger-carrying 767. Boeing is only building about one per month, to keep the line going until a decision is made in the USAF deal.

While Boeing has sold a few 767 tankers to Japan and Italy, without the USAF tanker contract it is likely the 767 line would close permanently after the last commercial order is filled.

FMI: www.boeing.com, www.af.mil