Air Force Secretary Michael Donley said Monday major revisions are unlikely in the final version of the KC-X tanker solicitation despite Northrop Grumman’s threat to exit the contest since it contends that the current terms favor rival Boeing. “The requirements part of the [request for proposal] is very strong,” said Donley at a Reuters summit in Washington, D.C., the Mobile Press-Register reported Dec. 15. He added, “I wouldn’t anticipate major changes to the RFP in that area.” Northrop President Wes Bush informed the Pentagon acquisition leadership Dec. 1 that the company would not submit a tanker bid “absent a responsive set of changes” in the final RFP. But Donley said the Air Force is “very leery” of making changes that could be seen as benefiting one company, reported Reuters news wire service. The final version of the RFP is expected to hit the streets in mid-January.
The Air Force has selected Collins Aerospace and Shield AI to develop the software Collaborative Combat Aircraft will use to fly missions alongside manned fighters, the service revealed Feb. 12—and drone-maker General Atomics was quick to announce it has already flown its YFQ-42A aircraft with Collins’ system.
