Boeing Signs Contract While Waiting on EADS to Move

The Air Force and Boeing (BA) executed the first part of the new KC-X aerial tanker contract. This is a $3.5 billion development effort that will deliver the first four KC-46A aircraft.

Unlike many other programs of this sort the U.S. is going to try a Fixed Price contract for the development effort as a cost control measure. In the past it has been hard to do real development work this way as there may be unknown issues that cause more schedule and cost. The assumption is because the KC-767 (and the KC-30) were fairly mature systems already in production for other customers that this risk is minimal. Of course the KC-46A is not identical to the other 767 tankers Boeing has built for Japan and Italy.

At the same time it has been reported that EADS NA (EADS:P) received their debrief from the Source Selection Board and now has a few more days to file a protest. There would have had to be something fairly serious revealed in the briefings to warrant such a move but until the deadline passes without one being filed there is always a chance a protest will occur. Although all the reports are now saying that EADS will not protest now even though there remain few future programs for the European aerospace company to bid on and get into the U.S. market.