Could Contentious Bidding Process Finally Be Resolved?

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has removed a little more of the mystery from the twice-stalled KC-X aerial tanker contract competition. Florida Today reports Gates will try to choose a contractor by the end of this summer.

The paper's interest in the story is, of course, the 500-plus jobs in Florida's Brevard County which would come with a win by Northrup Grumman and EADS over competitor Boeing.

Gates appears to be ending the "cooling-off" period he called for last year, to allow for a hiatus on inflamed congressional rhetoric during the 2008 US federal elections. Lawmakers have made various threats to Pentagon funding to influence a contract award which would benefit their home districts.

Both competitors have welcomed the word on the resumed competition. Spokesman Randy Belote told the paper Northrop will probably be back with its earlier proposal, a tanker based on the Airbus A330 passenger jet. Boeing's Dan Beck says his company will wait to see the request for proposals before

As ANN has reported, Boeing submitted a tanker version of its B767 commercial airliner for the previous rounds of KC-X, though it has said before a larger B777-based variant could be offered if the Air Force places greater emphasis on tankering capabilities in the new RFP. The A330 roughly splits the difference between the two Boeing planes in terms of size.

Gates addressed the challenges from losing bidders which derailed the last two competitions, saying it can be avoided if, "...we structure this fairly and we carry out the process by our own rules."

Meanwhile, the current fleet of half-century-old KC-135 tankers will have to remain in Air Force service for at least a few more years. In fact, some have speculated the last KC-135 may finally be retired near its 80th birthday.

FMI: www.af.mil, www.boeing.com.ids, www.northropgrumman.com/kc45/