The Air Force is “doing the best job humanly possible” to make the procurement of a new aerial tanker fleet “a fair competition,” a senior Boeing official said Friday. Briefing reporters at company offices in Arlington, Va., on the relative merits of the KC-767, the Boeing official, who declined to be identified, said the Air Force has been scrupulous about making sure both competitors get even-steven treatment. “If we get an hour with the [system program office], they do, too,” the official said of competitor Northrop Grumman-EADS North America. The Air Force expects to select a winner in late December. By being extra persnickety about fairness and making frequent check-ups with the competitors to make certain there’s no confusion, the Air Force would like to reduce the chances for a protest by the loser because the resultant delays could play havoc with funding and schedules.
The Air Force’s Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile is behind schedule and may significantly overrun its expected cost, which could partially explain why the service is reviving the hypersonic AGM-183 Air-Launched Rapid-Response Weapon.