Now that the bids are in for the Air Force’s KC-X tanker, the Pentagon’s formal source-selection process has begun. As part of that, the clamps have come down on what the Air Force may disclose. “In order protect the integrity and independence of this process, we are prohibited by the Federal Acquisition Regulation from providing further detail,” Air Force spokeswoman Col. Debra Millett tells the Daily Report. However, she added, the Defense Department “is committed to a free, fair, and open competitive process within the parameters of those rules and regulations.” The Air Force expects to award the KC-X contract sometime this fall, she confirmed. The KC-X program is projected to have a value of at least $35 billion over its lifetime.
Since President Donald Trump first unveiled his “Golden Dome” missile defense initiative in late January, much of the focus for it has been focused on space—how the Pentagon may deploy dozens, if not hundreds, of sensors and interceptors into orbit to protect the continental U.S. from missile barrages. But the Air…