James Bell, Boeing’s chief financial officer, recently cast doubt on whether the Boeing 767 will be the company’s entrant in the anticipated tanker replacement competition. He said this not because it couldn’t do the job, but because he thinks it’s possible the Pentagon may change the requirements. Bell told the Seattle Times that he would expect the company’s 767 to win a tanker competition if the specifications remain fairly true to USAF’s previously identified criteria. If not, he said, “we will respond with a different platform.” He did not disclose what that might be.
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.
