Boeing Chief Executive James McNerney said he is worried that European defense giant EADS will enjoy an advantage in the upcoming tanker competition because of its exemptions from US laws on export controls. Speaking with The Seattle Times, McNerney said that the problem with the tanker competition is not the oft-cited subsidies EADS gets from European nations, but rather the export controls and business transparency regulations that have a major impact Boeing but not on the Europeans. “The only think that we ask for is that we play by the same rules,” McNerney said.
Seven F-22 Raptor pilots have recently been awarded one of the military’s highest decorations for their actions during operations in the Middle East. Six of the pilots were decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross for their role in Operation Midnight Hammer, the June 2025 strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.