U.S. to Soon Seek Bids on New Air Tanker

The U.S. Air Force will be issuing a formal Request for Proposal in the next few days for its potentially lucrative KC-X air tanker program.

The KC-X project will produce planes that will eventually replace the current KC-135 tanker that has been in service since the 1960s and is considered a top priority for the Air Force.

The Air Force said in a release it plans to purchase nearly 180 tankers over the life of the program at a cost estimated at $20 billion, a sum that has attracted interest from the major U.S. aerospace contractors, although it was not clear Friday who would actually bid for the project.

Boeing is considered a sure bet to submit a proposal with its KC-767, which is based on the 767 airliner and already is being acquired by Italy and Japan. Northrop Grumman is working with EADS on the KC-30, an Airbus-produced plane. Northrop has, however, threatened to pull out due to what it sees as bidding requirements tailored in Boeing's favor.

Northrop Chairman Ron Sugar has said the company will wait to see what the Request for Proposal (RFP) has to say before they commit to making a bid.

The RFP will be used by contractors as a vehicle to formally present their ideas for the project, including cost and risk assessments that the military will use to decide which plane offers the best bang for the buck.

News stories provided by third parties are not edited by "Site Publication" staff. For suggestions and comments, please click the Contact link at the bottom of this page.