One of the two leading contenders in the tanker replacement game—the Northrop Grumman-EADS team—would like the Air Force to reconsider requiring companies to list what government subsidies they receive when it reviews proposals for a new tanker, according to Reuters news service. However, the fact that the Air Force requested the information pleased many US lawmakers, who feel EADS has an unfair advantage over its US competitor Boeing since EADS receives subsidies from European governments.
A new report from the Government Accountability Office calls for the Pentagon’s Chief Technology Officer to have budget certification authority over the military services’ research and development accounts—a move the services say would add a burdensome and unnecessary layer of bureaucracy.
