What’s unfair is now Boeing knows they were $3 Billion over NG’s bid. Guarantee their number will come way down.

Besides, now Chitown is toast for 2016 paybacks to the unions will be a biotch. I’d say $35B might just suffice.

FLY OFF, FLY OFF

If the USAF & DOD truly want a tanker NOW, they better start quietly lobbying in the background for Boeing’s Congressional supporters to introduce legislation to give the deal to Boeing. They could insist on the last round’s pricing or something to make it politically palatable.

Fly offs, best and final offers, split buys, etc., will all be doomed to failure. This thing is political. Besides, with unemployment expected to top 10% shortly, how does one expect the administration to justify a tanker build in europe and assembled & painted in Alabama?

The reason that a whole new bidding was required is because the last solicitation was unfair & the KC-X Source Selection Team did not assess the relative merits of the proposals in accordance with the evaluation criteria identified in the solicitation, it has nothing to do with inaccurate pricing information.

It isn’t as though NG/EADS just brought this up. Check out this article from April this year where they say they could live with a split buy if they get a minimum of 12 aircraft per year. Read the end of the article where they cite the problem of Boeing knowing the numbers.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/17/business/global/17defense.html?_r=1

What both sides also know is that Boeing will have two of the credits for fuel and construction costs. NG/EADS will have the IFARA credit. Very precise estimates can be made by the accountants/engineers of both sides on what those credit amounts will be. Then Boeing simply does the math.

The sad part is that the USAF and warfighter will not even get a chance to evaluate and exploit the major A330 advantages unless the bids are within 1%, or a split buy occurs.

The nation can afford a split buy. If we must, take some stimulus money and divert it to DoD. Create a lot of new skilled American jobs and the promise of many more. If we can bail out Chrysler and GM, we can provide jobs for southern workers as well. Boeing won’t be hurting for work anytime soon. If NG/EADS forces them to be more competitive, they are more likely to sell lots of 787s worldwide by keeping a lid on union expenses that already doomed one U.S. industry.

I dont know which way to take this characterization of NG Information.

Did the decision on last tanker competition contain inaccurate information that the Air Force depended on in the source selection and knew was inaccurate?

Did the outbrief from the Air Force distort the accurate NG information in a way that effected Boeings ability to protest the last award?

Was this inaccurate information that the last tanker decision was made on the real reason that a whole new bidding was required instead of just fixing the award in the last contract? Wouldnt the making of a false statement in an acquisition be a reason to debar a competitor from the next competition on that platform or contract.

If NG provided known inaccurate information last time will shouldnt that be considered in their specific performance record in this competition and in the judging and review of their next submitted information package. Will it be filled with information that will be newly inaccurate and known as such by the Air Force but awarded on price only because the metrics internal wont really matter?

Sorry all I have questions but it seems like someone should have the answers.

Let me get this straight, the government discloses (supposedly/presumably super secret) NG/EADS pricing information & you accuse Boeing of cheating…

***

DON ZWEIFEL,

The KC-30 is NOT the KC-45. The KC-X (what ever it ultimately ends up being) is the KC-45.

The KC-135Es are already grounded (retired THIS month).

I love the idea of a fly off. Build models, test them, let pilots refuel and debrief the pilots’ expiences, etcetera. You know…competition. Plain and simple.

Daniel Russ
Civilianmilitaryintelligencegroup.com

Let us see if the KC-45 can in actuality perform as NG says it could.

We already know what the JASDF KC-767J’s can accomplish so let the games begin.… Oh, but the KC-45 isn’t that far along, is it? Not by a long-shot, buster.

However, if a compromise is potentially in the cards then let’s give them the go-ahead to begin commensurate production lines as it is in our country’s best interests… i.e., it’s a criticality-one issue, or isn’t it?

For goodness sake… split the order in half, if need be and let’s get the show on the road before our KC-135R’s and even E’s are grounded as being non-airworthy. However, if the truth be known it’s already a fait accompli.…

As yours truly alluded earlier, General Curt LeMay if he were alive today would be raising Cain regarding this ridiculous debacle.… He’d be hauling people on the carpet if he were SecDef and not just relieving the SecAF and COS as whipping boys… as they certainly did not deserve this treatment, IMNSHO.…

if that’s the case, then certainly there would be no problem giving similarly inaccurate, outdated and not germane info to NG

right?