Reporting: Chicago Tribune Breaking News:

One of the longest-running defense contracting sagas may finally have come to an end Thursday when the Pentagon awarded Boeing Co. a $35-billion contract to build airborne tankers for the U.S. Air Force, sources said.

good now lets bring air refueling back to Grand Forks!

Start building the things tomorrow already, our boys needed them yesterday!

I'll beleive it when I see one on the tarmac. Sorry to be so cynical...but was @ the Pentagon the first time this went south.

Think its unfair , and I really hope other countries think twice before buying USA Equipment/planes. Seems to be a" look after your own" thing going on?!?
Glad the USAF get a new tanker though, sad to see the KC's fade away..

this isn't the only contract replacing the aerial tankers though. 179 Boeing tankers are not going to replace all the KC-135 and Kc-10. There is still the KC-Y competition replacing all the KC-135s and the KC-Z competition replacing all the Kc-10s coming up in the near future (we hope). EADS will get two more chances. Hope the Air force can get them on time.

They finally got it right! Congrats to all at Boeing.

Like the story goes when the last KC-X is retired, the crew will be picked up by a KC-135.

They'll probably be picked up in a B-52 by that time.....

Boeing knew how to build them back then!

They sure did, the 767 is just plain ugly!

How long before somebody asks for a tanker version of the Aardvark model

Firebird wrote:How long before somebody asks for a tanker version of the Aardvark model

Less than one hour.....

" Is there someone who is working for a tanker verision of the Aardvark model?"



Giorgio

I bet somebody asked months ago!:-)

Hm, still a chance of starting a new bid on that. The german news report that Airbus can file a complain within ten days... As long as those days have not been passed I will not say: "Congrats Boeing!"

The thing is the USAF need new tankers now. By complaining the whole process just gets delayed like the last time. I think the 767 is the wrong plane, but I expect the USAF knows more than me!

Well do not hold your breath looking for them on the ramp soon. Without another drawn out political debacle, the initial contract for 179 tankers, Boeing KC-46A, calls for Boeing to design, develop, manufacture, and deliver the first 18 combat ready planes by 2017, according to Chicago Tribune article. By that time we will all be flying MS Flight XVII?

Hmmm you don't think that the DoD is running a competitive tender for FSXI do you? It would explain a lot.

Firebird wrote:How long before somebody asks for a tanker version of the Aardvark model

I'd rather have the AIM model.

btaylo24 wrote:Think its unfair , and I really hope other countries think twice before buying USA Equipment/planes. Seems to be a" look after your own" thing going on?!?
Glad the USAF get a new tanker though, sad to see the KC's fade away..

Did Germany, Belgium, France, Spain, Great Britain, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Italy, EVEN HAVE a competition for their military transports? They all fly Airbus, but I don't remember hearing anything about a bid process/competition for any of these. Also, the militaries of Jordan, Canada, Pakistan, Brazil, Thailand, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia also use Airbus aircraft for their transport needs. Anyone hear anything about these? Looks like some of that, as you call it, "look after your own" thing going on in Europe. Yes? No?

I'm not trying to get into an argument or A v. B war (If I want that, I'll go to A.net).