Northrop And EADS Wait On Final RFP Release
The KC-X Tanker RFP is expected to be released in the next few weeks. Previously Notthrop and its partner EADS had threatened not to participate as they felt the draft RFP was biased in favor of Boeing. Now they are saying they will wait and see what is in the RFP when it is put out. It is in the best interest of the Air Force and the U.S. Government to receive multiple bids on the project.
Without competition the chance of this third attempt proceeding will be difficult. Sole sourcing the contract to either Boeing or the Northrop team will cause an outcry in Congress no matter what as both companies have their supporters. Not putting out a competitive RFP will only lead to protests and further delays in what has become a critical program to replace the aging KC-135 aircraft.
We are all going to have to wait to see what the Air Force puts out and how Northrop, EADS and Boeing respond to it.
George Hanshaw Said,
January 14, 2010 @ 2:02 pm
Perhaps it will be difficult for Congress to accept sole sourcing but that would appear to be the inevitable result of only one competitor making a responsive proposal. This is the KC-X program – a replacement program for the KC-135, not the KC-Y program which will be a replacement for the KC-10A.
EADS gripes that the RFP favors a smaller aircraft – like the 767. That’s true it does. And they claim that they ‘refuse to second guess the warfighter’ on the requirements, but then proceed to do just that when they say that the RFP should be changed to make it ‘competitive’ when they offer an aircraft that is far bigger than that required.
Ramp space is expensive – particularly at forward operating bases. That’s why a lot of times the bigger KC-10A (bigger than the KC-135 but still smaller than the A330 that EADS is proposing) isn’t used for that role.
One would think if EADS wanted this bid to be competitive, they’d make a bid with an A319 derivative or something like their existing A310 tanker aircraft and reserve the too big for forward basing aircraft to bid on the too big for forward basing replacement.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbus_A310_MRTT