It seems like nearly every article I see on the refueling tanker speculates on splitting the massive contract between rivals Boeing and Northrop.
Northrop Exec: Split Award On Aerial Tanker Would Make SensePARIS (Dow Jones)--With $39 billion in the U.S. defense budget for a new fleet of aerial refueling tankers, Paul Meyer, vice president and manager of Northrop Grumman Corp.'s(NOC) tanker program, said he expects in July to get a detailed request for proposals from the Air Force.
In an interview Sunday ahead of a press meeting at the Paris Air Show, Meyer said a split award between Northrop, its partner Airbus, and rival Boeing Co (BA) would make sense. Although it would raise production costs by "one or two billion dollars a year," it would speed up production, Meyer said.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates is working to accelerate the long-delayed tanker program, but doesn't favor a split deal
Also at an event Sunday sponsored by the Alabama aerospace industry, Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), head of the senate subcommittee on defense appropriations, told Dow Jones Newswires: "That's what we're discussing now, whether to have one contractor or two."
I think at this point the split would make sense and under this critical time I think the Air Force could use the accelerated schedule of having both Defense Contractors get the job done.
Well, baed on current corporate wins, or should I say losses, NG can't take another loss and so a split is the best option for them....Boeing should go for sole source!!