Results tagged “Boeing” from Biz Waves

This may be the most politicized defense contract in recent history.

Boeing tanker ally eyes $5 mln per plane Airbus duty

WASHINGTON, Nov 18 (Reuters) - A Boeing Co (BA.N) ally in Congress urged the Pentagon on Wednesday to add as much as $5 million per plane to a rival trans-Atlantic team's bid to supply new U.S. mid-air refueling aircraft.

Rep. Norm Dicks, a member of the House of Representatives Defense Appropriations subcommittee, floated the figure as part of a renewed push by Boeing's political backers, aimed at factoring a September interim global trade ruling into the tanker contract battle.

Read more on the Air Force Tanker Contract.

Will this voice the results of this latest tanker competition? Oh, boy.

Boeing refused to release tanker pricing -Pentagon

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Boeing declined a Pentagon request to release Boeing's pricing information from the last aerial tanker competition after Northrop raised concerns that it was disadvantaged by the Air Force's release of Northrop's pricing data to Boeing, according to a Pentagon letter.

Pentagon General Counsel Jeh Johnson told Northrop Grumman Corp (NOC.N) in a letter dated Sept. 23, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters, that defense officials did not believe the company was competitively harmed by Boeing Co's (BA.N) knowledge of "some of the prior pricing" and remained convinced that "the integrity of the procurement process will be maintained without the release of additional pricing information."

But Johnson said the Pentagon "actually sought Boeing's permission to release this information, and Boeing declined," according to the letter.

Read more on the earial refueling tanker.

And where will China get its parts to build this new plane? Probably not the South Bay. Definitely a big challenge for local parts manufacturers.

China wants to rival Boeing, Airbus with its C919 'big plane'

(USA Today) BEIJING -- For now, China's big entry into the standard passenger jet business is little more than a 20-foot-long model plane on display here at Beijing Expo air show.
But the model -- of the planned C919, single-aisle jetliner designed to seat up to 190 passengers -- represents something much larger.

It's what's called the "big plane" project here. It symbolizes the country's stepped-up efforts to get into the commercial passenger jet business in a big way and challenge U.S. plane-making giant Boeing and European rival Airbus, which dominate the global jetliner market. And it will be a showcase for China's ambition to be more than a low-tech producer of consumer goods for the world.

Read more about China's aicraft plans.

This could be serious. Will this latest tanker contest result in yet another reversal?

Northrop: Boeing has 'unfair' edge in tanker deal

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Pentagon has given Boeing Co. an "unfair" advantage in the latest competition for a troubled $35 billion tanker contract, a Northrop Grumman Corp. executive said Tuesday.

The Pentagon shared Northrop's pricing data from its previous bid with Chicago-based Boeing, but did not reveal Boeing's cost estimates to Northrop.

"It is fundamentally unfair, and distorts any new competition, to provide such critical information to only one of the bidders," Paul Meyer, a Northrop Grumman vice president, said in a statement. "The company will continue to work with its customer to fully resolve this issue."

Read more on the tanker contest.

This tanker contest will be the most talked-about aerospace contract for the next year or so.

EADS, Northrop May Have To Tweak Tanker Bid

PARIS (Dow Jones)--European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co NV (EAD.FR) and its U.S. partner, Northrop Grumman Corp (NOC), may have to revise their proposal for a U.S. military airborne refuelling tanker to take into account new technical requirements from the Pentagon, EADS' chief executive officer said Monday.

EADS and Northrop Grumman have teamed up to try to win a $40 billion contract to supply 179 airborne refuelling tankers against U.S. rival Boeing Co (BA). The Pentagon issued a new request for proposals for a plane, provisionally dubbed the KC-X, to replace its ageing fleet of KC-135 tankers.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of an event, Louis Gallois said the new requirements involve the mission systems capability of the aircraft that will win the contest some time next year.

Offering two different planes provides added flexibility because of the varied missions the tanker would go on. But wouldn't that increase the cost since two aircraft would have to be modified instead of just one?

Boeing may offer US Air Force two tankers

(Reuters) - Boeing Co (BA.N) said it might offer a choice of its aircraft against a rival Airbus model in a renewed trans-Atlantic tussle to build a multibillion-dollar refueling fleet for the U.S. Air Force.

The Chicago-based aerospace giant said on Friday it was deciding whether to stick with its modified 767 tanker, which lost a previous, canceled competition to an Airbus A330 model, or go with a larger 777-based tanker -- or offer both.

Read more on Boeing's tanker bid.

The sad part is this contract may be decided based more on political rather than genuine security considerations.

Boeing backers eye adding trade to tanker contest

(Reuters) WASHINGTON - Lawmakers who back Boeing Co. said they were considering legislative action to ensure the Pentagon did not exempt Airbus parent EADS from U.S. export restrictions and other laws in a $35-billion refueling aircraft competition that resumes this week.

Representative Todd Tiahrt, a Republican from Kansas -- where Boeing has a big plant -- said on Tuesday he expected to see a draft request for proposals for the new competition on Thursday.

The Air Force's third attempt to begin replacing its aging KC-135 tankers is being closely watched by lawmakers supporting Boeing, and those backing a rival bid by Northrop Grumman Corp. and Europe's EADS.

Read more on the tanker competition.

Get ready for a massive PR war between Boeing and Northrop over the Air Force's aerial refueling tanker contract.

Boeing launches tanker Web site

(LA Biz Journal) The Boeing Co. has launched a new Web site dedicated to its efforts to win the U.S. Air Forces' refueling tanker contract.

The aircraft manufacturer announced the new site, www.UnitedStatesTanker.com, Monday at the Air Force Association's 2009 Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition outside Washington, D.C.

Read more on Boeing's tanker efforts.

Boeing is going with a bigger plane to match Northrop's previously winning bid for the $35 billion Air Force tanker contract.

Boeing Plans Aerial Refueling Tanker Bid Based on 767 or 777

(Bloomberg) -- Boeing Co. plans to offer either the 767 or larger 777 model in the Air Force refueling tanker competition, the planemaker's executives said.

The company said its entry will depend on whether the U.S. Air Force wants a larger capacity aircraft, Rick Lemaster, the company's head of tanker ocmpetition, said today in a briefing.

Read more on Boeing's tanker bid.

It's a grainy video, but still interesting.

Here's how Boeing describes the Aug. 10 Airborne Laser test:

A camera sensitive to infrared wavelengths was positioned on the Boeing 747 cockpit glare shield by the pilot. In the video, you see the bright missile plume moving left to right across the windshield. Note several small windshield reflections as the missile travels across the screen. The first laser beam that comes on is the tracking laser, followed by the atmospheric compensation laser, and finally the SHEL. The 36-foot-long Terrier Lynx/Black Brandt missile moves rapidly across the sky, showing the rapid timelines and clear advantage that speed-of-light, directed energy weapons deliver.

Good news for local Boeing suppliers.

Boeing says Asia Pacific region will need 8,960 new jets

(Seattepi.com) The Asia Pacific region will be the world's largest aviation market over the next two decades, requiring 8,960 new commercial jets, worth approximately $1.1 trillion, according to a forecast Boeing released Wednesday at the Asian Aerospace Expo in Hong Kong.

"Twenty years from now more than 40 percent of the world's airline traffic will begin, end or take place within the Asia Pacific region," Randy Tinseth, vice president of marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said in a news release. "That's a big leap for a region that was not even mentioned in our earliest Boeing market forecasts back in the 1950s."

Read more about Boeing.

A win for Boeing would be a bit of good news amid weak aircraft orders. But how will a Boeing win affect its chances of going on to win the Air Force's $35 billion aerial refueling tanker contract against the team of Northrop Grumman and Airbus parent EADS?

Boeing, U.S. Seen Winning WTO Case on European Aid to Airbus

(Bloomberg) Boeing Co. and the U.S. are set to win a case at the World Trade Organization over $15 billion in European government loans to Airbus SAS, the world's largest aircraft maker, U.S. trade lawyers and former officials said.

A panel of WTO judges is scheduled to rule Friday on a U.S. complaint over loans that the U.K., Spain, Germany and France provided Airbus over four decades. It will be a preliminary ruling in a five-year dispute over aid between Toulouse, France-based Airbus and Chicago-based Boeing.

"If it's a straightforward reading of the rules, the panel should find against Airbus," former U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab said in an interview.

Read more on Boeing and Aibus.

This guy's responsibilities include Boeing's satellite facility in El Segundo and the C-17 line in Long Beach. Also, he's in charge of the F/A-18 Super Hornet, whose center and aft fuselage is built in El Segundo by Northrop Grumman.

New top gun here faces test

(ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH) New Boeing defense chief Dennis Muilenburg takes over at a turbulent time for the aerospace giant.

Boeing was hit especially hard by proposed Pentagon budget cutbacks this year. But Muilenburg, the new president and CEO of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems in St. Louis, said Tuesday that the company has been bracing for the eventual flattening or decline of defense spending for a couple of years.

Read more on Boeing's new defense chief.

I'm sure Northrop would take issue with this opinion.

Boeing is the best company to build the Air Force tanker

(Seattle Times) TENS of thousands of good-paying jobs in the United States, many of them in Washington's aerospace industry, are riding on the outcome of a Pentagon decision.

The issue is which aircraft will be chosen to serve as the military's new refueling tanker. It's a huge contract -- $35 billion for about 180 planes.

Read more on the aerial refueling tanker.

All I can say is Yikes!

One is the loneliest number: Boeing's net order for 2009

(Seattlepi.com) Boeing's new airplane order tally for 2009 is now at one. It has logged 85 orders and 84 cancellations so far this year, according to Boeing's order tally Web site.

Read more on Boeing.

Bad month, but possibly good news ahead.

Boeing sees orders fall sharply

(BBC) Aircraft giant Boeing has said orders in May were down by more than 70% from a year earlier after airlines cancelled or delayed plans for new planes.

The company said it had received just 20 orders during the month compared with 67 last May. Deliveries, however, were up very slightly on last year.

But orders could be boosted if Boeing secures a deal with United Airlines, which is looking to overhaul its fleet.

Read more on Boeing's plane orders.

Does this mean we'll be seeing big layoffs at aerospace companies in coming years?

Boeing Sees 'High Water Mark' in Defense Spending

(Bloomberg) -- Boeing Co. is making acquisitions and refreshing older product lines to prepare for what may be a peak for military purchases next year as U.S. President Barack Obama shifts priorities, the company's top defense executive said.

"It's possible that 2010 could be the high-water mark as far as defense spending" on new weapons, Jim Albaugh, president of Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems, said in an interview.

Read more on Albaugh's interview.