The Air Force plans to unveil its final request for proposals in the tanker replacement program this week, according to a statement issued late Friday. The service could still make its notional January deadline. Whether the RFP will alleviate Northrop Grumman’s concerns is unclear, although the service says the RFP will include “specific factors for assessing the capability contribution of each offeror, i.e. Boeing and the Northrop-EADS team. As a final word, the statement says the Air Force “is committed to a full and open competition.”
With key members of Congress wavering on the possibility of a $350 billion defense reconciliation bill, defense experts told Air & Space Forces Magazine that the Pentagon is likely drawing up budget backup plans—but such plans would face hard choices between high-end weapons and low-cost drones and other programs in…