The Air Force plans to unveil its final request for proposals in the tanker replacement program this week, according to a statement issued late Friday. The service could still make its notional January deadline. Whether the RFP will alleviate Northrop Grumman’s concerns is unclear, although the service says the RFP will include “specific factors for assessing the capability contribution of each offeror, i.e. Boeing and the Northrop-EADS team. As a final word, the statement says the Air Force “is committed to a full and open competition.”
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
