If you thought the current rhetorical stampede to the
November 4 US presidential election was overly political, you
obviously haven't been following the oft-delayed (and even
more-oft-bungled... remember Darleen Druyun?) KC-X tanker
competition.
On Wednesday, pundits and observers alike reacted to the Pentagon's surprise announcement it has
deferred making a decision indefinitely on whether the first round
of a lucrative contract should go to Boeing, or Northrop/EADS.
Below is a summary of reaction from Boeing and Northrop Grumman
proponents, courtesy of The Associated Press:
"With this delay, it is conceivable that our warfighters
will be forced to fly tankers as old as 80 years of age." --
Northrop spokesman Randy Belote.
"Unacceptable... [it] clearly places business interests
above the interests of the warfighter... We are a nation at war,
sending our pilots into battle on planes that are largely older
than they are. This approach is irresponsible, shortsighted and
harmful to both the warfighter and the nation." -- Alabama
Senator Richard Shelby. Northrop planned to locate the final
assembly facility for its KC-45A tanker (as well as the Airbus
A330-200 Freighter) in Mobile.
"They didn't have enough time to do it right." --
Washington Congressman Norman Dicks.
"A reality check on a procurement process that got very
complicated and a little muddied." -- Washington Senator Patty
Murray
And, perhaps, two voices of reason...
"The pace of the protest and re-competition happened so
fast, there hasn't been an opportunity for policy makers to step
back and deliberately be objective." -- Lexington Group
aerospace analyst Loren Thompson.
"Our current tankers have held up well, but they are more
than 50 years old. Further delaying their replacements puts our
airmen and our national security at risk.... The decision to delay
procurement of a new tanker flies in the face of that commitment,
and of common sense." -- North Dakota Senator Kent Conrad, to
the Grand Forks Herald.
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