AvWeek has provided a PDF of a PowerPoint presentation for the final request for proposals:

 

Tanker final RFP

AvWeek has provided a PDF of a PowerPoint presentation for the final request for proposals:

 

Tanker final RFP

 

Haven't had a chance to read the RFP itself but I did get to read a bunch of Congressfolk already weighing in... With pretty much predictable stances.

 

Military procurement (at least large buys) are so screwed up...

Military procurement (at least large buys) are so screwed up...

 

They should just put the wives in charge of it. They were already going to spend a fortune, anyway ...

From Aviation Week

 

Boeing Selects 767 for USAF KC-X Tanker Bid

Mar 4, 2010

By Amy Butler

 

 

Boeing’s so-called NewGen Tanker, a 767-based design for the U.S. Air Force KC-X competition, will feature a new refueling boom and a flight deck based on the 787 commercial transport.

 

Company officials announced this afternoon that the aircraft will be based on a 767, but they declined to say which 767 variant is the departure design. An artist’s concept of the design appears to point to a 767-200.

 

In a departure from its last KC-X design proposal, Boeing is using the new flight deck, which they say will provide information displays that are 75% larger than the Airbus A330, on which a potential competitor’s design will be based.

 

A Northrop Grumman/EADS team won the last KC-X competition in February 2008 with the A330-based tanker, which drew from the Multi-role Tanker Transport being built for Australia. But, government auditors found missteps in the Air Force’s source selection and the contract has been terminated in favor of a new competition.

 

Also a departure in Boeing’s new design is “a new generation fly-by-wire boom with an expanded refueling envelope and increased fuel offload rate,” according to Boeing’s announcement. The refueling boom design is more reminiscent of a KC-10 boom rather than that of the KC-135. It is likely this switch was made to achieve the 1,200 gallon-per-minute offload rate demanded by the final KC-X request for proposals (RFP), which was released by the Air Force on Feb. 24. Boeing’s boom offered in the last competition used a ruddervator structure more like the KC-135 boom, according to pictures, although its exact capabilities were shrouded in mystery.

 

The wings on this 767-based tanker appear to be significantly longer than a baseline 767-200 commercial model, perhaps a design choice made to address wing flutter issues experienced on the Italian 767 tanker. However, Boeing officials declined to comment on whether the wings, doors, floors and flaps were being pulled from other commercial models.

 

In the 2007-2008 competition, Boeing’s offering was derided by some as a “Frankentanker” for pulling pieces of its commercial aircraft models into a single new design. This approach was considered by USAF officials to be higher risk at the time.

 

However, in the forthcoming KC-X competition, all 327 requirements are pass/fail, so this approach may not carry the same stigma as it did before.

 

Boeing Defense, Space and Security President Dennis Muilenburg says the design will meet all of the 372 pass/fail requirements.

 

Northrop Grumman/EADS officials have not said yet whether they will bid or back out of the competition as they have threatened. They feel the latest KC-X RFP favors a smaller tanker.

Boeing's offer for KC-X

From Northrop Grumman

 

Northrop Grumman Officially Out of KC-X

Mar 9, 2010

By Amy Butler

 

Northrop Grumman’s announcement that the company will not support a joint bid with EADS North America for the Air Force’s KC-X aerial refueler competition contained a parting shot for the Pentagon and Boeing: Don’t overpay with a sole-source contract.

 

In his statement, Northrop Grumman CEO Wes Bush says that when his company’s bid won in 2008, the per-unit price was $184 million for the first 68 tankers, including the $1.5 billion development cost.

 

Senior Pentagon officials, including Deputy Defense Secretary Bill Lynn, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Pentagon acquisition chief Ashton Carter said during a Feb. 24 briefing to release the KC-X request for proposals (RFP) that the issue of a sole-source was merely hypothetical. The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) is still not providing detail on how it will proceed with a sole-source deal for Boeing. Air Force officials deferred all questions to OSD.

 

However, one Defense Dept. official said, “The world would not stop … We deal with sole-source contracts all the time.”

 

KC-X will provide the first 179 KC-135 replacements to the U.S. Air Force; estimated procurement price is about $35 billion.

 

Bush says his decision was made because the Pentagon’s revised source-selection methodology for this KC-X – the last award was terminated after a Boeing protest turned up procurement missteps – “clearly favors the smaller tanker,” which is Boeing’s 767-based proposal. Northrop/EADS was planning to offer a version of the Airbus A330, which won in the 2008 competition. “Investing further resources to submit a bid would not be acting responsibly.”

 

Both Northrop and Boeing, which is proposing a 767-based tanker, complained that the draft RFP issued in September put too much financial risk on the contractors. Pentagon officials responded in the final RFP by relieving some of the fixed-price elements of the deal.

 

Bush also says that “though we feel we have substantial grounds to support a [Government Accountability Office] or court ruling to overturn this revised source selection process, America’s service men and women have been forced to wait too long for new tankers.” He did not identify what those grounds would be for a protest, but he says the company will not protest the RFP.

 

Pentagon officials said they were “disappointed” in the decision and tried to underscore support for trans-Atlantic defense industrial ties. “In the last tanker replacement (KC-X) competition, Northrop Grumman competed well on both price and non-price factors. We strongly believe that the current competition is structured fairly and that both companies could compete effectively,” said a prepared statement. “Based on the inputs we received from both offerors to the Department’s draft Request for Proposal (RFP), we made changes to reduce the out-year risk to the potential manufacturers of KC-X. However, we did not change the war-fighters’ requirements to accommodate either offeror.”

 

Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.), who is replacing the recently deceased Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) as the powerful chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, says the decision by Northrop will allow the Pentagon to “move forward expeditiously with the replacement of a KC-135 tanker fleet.” Dicks, a longtime Boeing supporter, adds that Northrop’s decision is “prudent” because the A330-based option would “clearly have been more costly to purchase, operate and maintain...I applaud the Northrop Grumman Corp. for its assessment and its decision not to delay the procurement by submitting a bid and requiring the government to conduct another lengthy competition.“

 

Another Boeing supporter, Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), also sounded relieved that Boeing’s path had been cleared. But in a public statement she also warned Boeing that her oversight would turn to making sure the program performs. “Washington workers deserve this opportunity,” she said. “But today’s news is by no means the end of the line, and this contract is no slam dunk. It’s important to remember that the American people are the customers, and that we drive a hard bargain.”

 

Lawmakers from Alabama, however, which stood to gain work from both Northrop and Boeing, are disappointed. Sen. Jeff Sessions, who had a hold on two key Pentagon nominations for procurement officials (which were lifted last week), says that “this is truly a dark day for the American warfighter.” He says the Pentagon rewrote the competition in a “biased fashion.”

 

EADS North America Chairman of the Board Ralph Crosby makes clear in his statement that the decision not to bid was Northrop’s. “Northrop Grumman’s analysis of the RFP reaffirmed...concerns and prompted the decision not to bid.” EADS officials have not said whether they will proceed as a prime contractor with their own bid, or if they are working to secure another prime partner. The company was eyeing the tanker work as a justification to establish a stateside A330 assembly line. The facility eyed for Mobile, Ala., could also have later housed other commercial work at less cost than assembling aircraft in Europe.

 

Nevertheless, while Northrop’s Bush named the price of their tanker in the last go-around, one industry source suggested the cost of the tankers in the 2008 contest is “irrelevant.” That pricing was derived for a “heavily subsidized aircraft.” The World Trade Organization has issued an interim ruling that finds that EADS received illegal subsidies for its commercial aircraft product line, but the Air Force declined to take that into account for the competition.

 

Boeing officials have declined to say what the price of their tanker will be.

From Defense Aerospace

 

EADS North America Intends to Submit Proposal for U.S. Air Force Tanker

(Source: EADS North America; issued April 20, 2010)

 

ARLINGTON, Virginia --- EADS North America announced today that it intends to submit a proposal on July 9, 2010 for the U.S. Air Force’s tanker modernization program and will offer the KC-45 – the most capable, American-built solution that is flown, proven and in production now.

 

EADS North America is progressing in discussions with potential U.S. partners to build a winning team in order to provide the most capable, best value solution to the Air Force.

 

The KC-45 is the only aircraft flying today that meets the U.S. Air Force’s tanker requirements as outlined in its KC-X Request for Proposal (RFP). The KC-45 builds on the EADS-based tanker that was previously selected in 2008 by the Department of Defense and that has won the last five consecutive tanker competitions worldwide.

 

“We will offer a modern, more capable tanker in response to the Defense Department’s decision to encourage competition for this major taxpayer investment,” said EADS North America Chairman Ralph D. Crosby, Jr. “Our KC-45 is the only real, flying, low-risk solution that today meets the demanding Air Force air refueling requirements and is actually in production now. That fact is critical because our warfighters deserve a true best value solution.”

 

EADS North America will build and modify the KC-45, along with A330 commercial freighters, at an EADS North America/Airbus production facility to be constructed in Mobile, Alabama. The KC-45 program and aircraft production/modification center will create and support tens of thousands of high-value American jobs while making a long-term investment in the nation’s economy at a time when other aerospace companies are outsourcing production overseas.

 

“This tanker competition is all about the warfighter and the aircraft that most successfully meets their requirements. The KC-45 offers what the Air Force needs today: a modern military tanker that is in production now with deliveries beginning this year,” said Sean O’Keefe, EADS North America Chief Executive Officer. “Not only does the KC-45 offer the best value and a huge capability advantage over the competition, it also will support tens of thousands of jobs across America by expanding our nation’s industrial aerospace capacity.”

 

The KC-45 is the U.S. military version of the proven A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT). To date 28 aircraft have been ordered by four U.S. allies. The MRTT has transferred more than 265,000 lbs. of fuel to a range of military aircraft – from F-16 and F/A-18 fighters to the E-3 AWACS – using the same refueling systems offered on the KC-45.

 

“Our aircraft has demonstrated its unparalleled capability by refueling a variety of military aircraft utilizing both boom and hose and drogue systems, as well as by operating in the receiving position. That’s a statement our competition can’t make,” said Crosby.

 

The Royal Australian Air Force will receive the first A330 MRTTs later this year. Additional aircraft are in production or undergoing mission-equipment outfitting for the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

 

“We’re progressing forward in discussions to expand the ranks of our nearly 200 current U.S. suppliers, some of which are joining us for today’s announcement,” continued O’Keefe.

 

At the heart of the KC-45 is the most capable aerial refueling system operating today. The aircraft’s fly-by-wire Aerial Refueling Boom System (ARBS) has a demonstrated fuel offload rate of 1,200 U.S. gallons per minute – the only system which meets the U.S. Air Force’s requirements without further modification. The system’s proven all-electric fly-by-wire technology ensures enhanced controllability and safety that greatly aids the boom operator and receiver aircraft's pilot.

 

The KC-45 also carries an all-digital hose and drogue system for probe-equipped aircraft. The under-wing refueling pods are the most modern in service today, with the capability to deliver up to 420 gallons of fuel per minute through 90-ft.-long hoses at refueling speeds from 180 to 325 knots. The KC-45 will also feature a modern fuselage refueling unit, common with that of allied MRTT users such as the United Kingdom.

 

EADS North America is the North American operation of EADS, a global leader in aerospace, defense and related services. As a leader in all sectors of defense and homeland security, EADS North America and its parent company, EADS, contribute over $11 billion to the U.S. economy annually and support more than 200,000 American jobs through its network of suppliers and services. Operating in 17 states, EADS North America offers a broad array of advanced solutions to its customers in the commercial, homeland security, aerospace and defense markets. (ends)

 

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Speaking to reporters in Paris, EADS Chief Executive Louis Gallois said on Wednesday that finding a major industrial partner in the U.S. to make certain, classified parts of the tanker, and to install them, “is an indispensable element” of the company’s bid. “We are talking with certain companies to play this role of partner,” he said, but EADS would remain the prime contractor.)

 

**

 

EADS Plans to Bid for Tanker Contract

(Source: Deutsche Welle German radio; issued April 20, 2010)

 

The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company has relaunched its bid to supply the US Air Force with new aerial refueling tankers. Rival Boeing says a win by EADS will cost Americans jobs.

 

European aerospace giant EADS plans to compete with American rival Boeing to bid on a $35 billion (26.1 billion euro) deal to supply the US Air Force with new aerial refueling tankers.

 

"This is a hell of an opportunity," said Ralph Crosby, chairman of EADS North America, at a press conference in Washington DC on Tuesday.

 

Crosby said EADS felt "almost compelled" to enter the competition to offer its A330-based tanker, which it feels is superior to Boeing's 767-based tanker. "When you've got the best, you've got to offer it," he said.

 

EADS (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company) will now bid as the prime contractor for the project. Its US partner Northrop Grumman dropped out six weeks ago, amid complaints that Washington was engaging in protectionism that favored Boeing.

 

Northrop and EADS won a previous US tanker contract in 2008, but the Pentagon canceled the deal after government auditors upheld a protest by Boeing that said errors were made in the bid process. Bidding reopened earlier this year, and the competing companies now have until July 9 to submit their bids.

 

Boeing backers

 

Boeing supporters in Congress criticized the Pentagon for extending the deadline, despite a recent report from the World Trade Organization that pointed out that EADS benefited from government subsidies for its airplanes.

 

"It means we are bending over backwards to include a company that has broken the rules of fair play," said Senator Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington state, where Boeing would build the 179 airplanes.

 

Critics also said an EADS contract would end up costing more, both in terms of maintenance costs for the aircraft and American jobs.

 

Crosby, however, stressed that EADS remained committed to building the planes in the United States, creating tens of thousands of jobs across the country. He added that they were working with its more than 200 suppliers to lower the maintenance costs.

 

The Pentagon welcomed the renewed competition for the tanker replacement program, and said it expected to decide on a winner by "early fall."

 

**

 

Boeing Statement on EADS' Decision to Enter KC-X Tanker Competition

(Source: Boeing Co.; issued April 20, 2010)

 

ST. LOUIS --- The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (EADS), parent company of Airbus, today announced that it will re-enter the competition for the U.S. Air Force KC-X Tanker contract through its subsidiary, EADS North America. The Air Force has said that EADS' announcement of intent will extend the proposal deadline by 60 days, from May 10 to July 9.

 

The Boeing Company responded with the following statement:

 

"From the outset, Boeing has been 100 percent focused on responding to the needs of our Air Force customer and preparing a competitive proposal. Only Boeing can produce a tanker that will meet the Air Force's 372 requirements and promise delivery of a combat-ready, safe and survivable tanker that is the most capable for the warfighter, the lowest cost for the taxpayer, and backed by Boeing's proven U.S. work force. We are confident in the superior value and capabilities of our NewGen Tanker and intend to present a compelling case for it in our proposal.

 

"While we are disappointed in the bid submission delay, we hope for a fair and transparent competition free of any additional changes intended to accommodate a non-U.S. prime contractor.

 

"We also remain deeply concerned about the ability of a heavily subsidized Airbus/EADS to accept levels of financial risk that a commercial company such as Boeing cannot. We regret that these concerns will not be addressed in the bid evaluation, even when the U.S. government has proven in a world court that those subsidies are illegal and directly distort competition between Airbus and Boeing."

 

The Boeing NewGen Tanker will meet all 372 requirements set forth by the Air Force in its search for a medium-size tanker to replace the KC-135 fleet. It will be a widebody, multi-mission aircraft based on the proven Boeing 767 commercial aircraft, updated with the latest and most advanced technology. And it will provide more fuel and more cargo to more warfighters in combat.

 

Boeing will build the NewGen Tanker with a low-risk approach to manufacturing that relies on existing Boeing facilities in Washington state and Kansas as well as U.S. suppliers throughout the nation, with decades of experience delivering dependable military tanker and derivative aircraft. Nationwide, the NewGen Tanker program will support approximately 50,000 total U.S. jobs with Boeing and more than 800 suppliers in more than 40 states.

 

The Boeing NewGen Tanker also will save American taxpayers more than $10 billion in fuel costs over its 40-year service life because it is 24 percent more fuel-efficient than the Airbus A330. It will cost 15 to 20 percent less to maintain, saving hundreds of millions of dollars over its service life.

 

More information on Boeing's NewGen Tanker, including video clips and an interactive tour of the aircraft, is available at www.UnitedStatesTanker.com.