Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne reports that he’s hopeful that World Trade Organization issues swirling around the aerial tanker competition will all be resolved by the time a contract is awarded next summer. Subsidy issues with European aircraft—affecting the Northrop Grumman-EADS tanker offer—surfaced in the draft request for proposals. Wynne acknowledged the issue could “derail” a timely tanker award.
While the Pentagon has signaled its intent to scale technology, field new systems faster, and work more with nontraditional vendors, a new report identifies persistent manufacturing capacity, resourcing, workforce, and modernization challenges that could hinder its ability to deliver on those goals.