aviodromefriend wrote:Interesting to see if or how this is going to be an issue at the elections in November.
Could very well happen. McCain has been accused of favoring the European candidate (or more precise: the non-Boeing option because he was furious about the corruption during the first contest). So the Obama team could put this forward whenever they feel like.
Is it likely that the Obama administration would choose the Boeing variant over Airbus/Northrop-Grumman variant, after Obama has taken over the White House?
How sure are you the Democrates fafour the B767 above the A.330? The Democrates now also have a majority in parlement and the house of congress.
Any one has seen press releases on this subject recently?
Barack Obama being a former Senator from Chicago and the Boeing corporate headquarters also being in Chicago may be a clue..........
..."Gates is also proposing to restart the politically-charged KC-X tanker competition between Northrop Grumman/EADS North America and Boeing in the third quarter after a nearly year-long hiatus.
Gates also noted he would be open to proposals to accelerate purchases for a single tanker replacement fleet, rejecting calls for a split-buy. "
Obama and his Government are doing a sort of protectionism, probably due to the crisis that hit many firms in USA and worldwide. So they want to let some national firms to win contracts for the DoD. Let's look also to the Marine One helicopters supply. They spent about 7 millions for the production and the already delivered helos, and they have to pay a penalty for the closure of the contract with Finmeccanica (as it was stated before signing the contract). If you calculate also the cost for the upgrade of the actual line of helos and the future cost for buying new helicopters, they will spend much more than the 12 millions that they have to pay for the VH-71!
Spike wrote:Obama and his Government are doing a sort of protectionism, probably due to the crisis that hit many firms in USA and worldwide. So they want to let some national firms to win contracts for the DoD. Let's look also to the Marine One helicopters supply. They spent about 7 millions for the production and the already delivered helos, and they have to pay a penalty for the closure of the contract with Finmeccanica (as it was stated before signing the contract). If you calculate also the cost for the upgrade of the actual line of helos and the future cost for buying new helicopters, they will spend much more than the 12 millions that they have to pay for the VH-71!
Spike,
No final decision has been made yet. The KC-X rfp has been revised and those new tankers should enter the inventory in FY2013. But your comments proved nothing less than a huge political fight and that has proven to be the case. And nothing short of certain aspects of the evaluation process that Boeing succesfully contested. And a multi contractor procurement with a split-buy remains under review.