Boeing has been awarded $3.5bn (£2.2bn) to supply the US Air Force with 179 next-generation aerial refuelling tanker aircraft.
Under the contract, Boeing will design, develop, manufacture and deliver 18 initial combat-ready KC-46A tankers by 2017.
Based on the Boeing 767 commercial aircraft, the KC-46A tanker is a wide-body, multi-mission aircraft said to be capable of meeting requirements for the transport of fuel, cargo, passengers and patients.
Boeing’s design was selected in preference to EADS’ KC-45 refuelling tanker.
In a statement, EADS North America said the US Air Force had selected a high-risk, concept aircraft over the KC-45.
‘This is certainly a disappointing turn of events and we look forward to discussing with the air force how it arrived at this conclusion,’ said EADS North America chairman Ralph D Crosby Jr.
If selected, EADS North America had committed to build the KC-45 at a new production facility in Mobile, Alabama, with a US supplier base of nearly 1,000 companies.
‘With a programme of such complexity, our review of today’s decision will take some time,’ said Crosby. ‘There are more than 48,000 Americans who are eager to build the KC-45 here in the US, and we owe it to them to conduct a thorough analysis.’
Michael Donley, secretary of the air force, said in a briefing that many factors were evaluated during the tanker selection process.
‘This selection process determined whether or not the proposals demonstrated the ability of an offerer to deliver all 372 mandatory requirements and whether non-mandatory capabilities would be addressed,’ he said. ‘It also took into account fleet mission effectiveness in wartime and lifecycle costs as embodied in fuel efficiency and military construction costs.’
Speaking as a former KC-135 maintenance guy in the US Air Force. This is great news for the AF and our country. Boeing built the KC-135 that I worked on and it has been around for 50+ years. Great aircraft! I expect the KC-46A will be awesome and serve our country well.
I am sure the airbus A330 would have been a far superior aircraft in this role.
Again Boeing are having there commerial
aircraft production funded by the us air force.
Both aircraft would be fit for purpose. The fact is that this was a natural political decision in that the US is supporting its home grown industry; this is exactly the sort of decision any responsible government would make apart from the UK government which usually sells us down the river.
Oh thats a surprise!
Don’t forget that the “Airbus” program initially was a consortium between the British, German and French governments and funding was received to start the development programs and the resulting production of commercial aircraft that exists today. Boeing does not receive federal/government funding to produce aircraft, but receives commercial orders and now a U. S. Air Force government contract for the new KC- 46A military tanker.
You will be telling me next that the Boeing 747 was not originally designed as a military freighter and not at all funded by the US Goverment…. I would struggle to beleive that one…….
Just remember that Boeing wouldn’t be the company it is today without the technical knowledge GIVEN to it after the Comet accidents. Don’t forget the American prejudice that was levied against the superior VC10 and Concorde. Anyone believing the American market is even slightly fair is deluded. Consortium or no consortium they are self serving protectionists.