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.
Anduril and General Atomics will develop their Collaborative Combat Aircraft for the Air Force, beating out Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman, the service announced on April 24. But any of the non-selected companies can compete to actually manufacture the eventual design, the Air Force said.