Boeing, Northrop/EADS gear up for another round of tanker wars

Washington: The Pentagon's on-again-off-again tender for 179 air-to-air refuelling aircraft has once again been set into motion with two competitors, Boeing Co and a Northrop Grumman/ EADS combine receiving request for proposals. Both bidders have previously won the tender once each only to see decisions overturned on various grounds.

The United States Air Force has said that it will be ''crystal clear'' about what it wants from the aircraft, unlike previous tenders when requirements appeared to change mid-course through the tendering process.

It also said it wants a plane that's war-ready on Day One.

Confirming it had received the RFP from the Pentagon, Boeing said, "Our next step is to conduct a detailed review of the document."

It added it had "a KC-7A7 'family of tankers' available to meet the requirements.''Whether it's the agile, flexible 767-based tanker or the large 777-based tanker, Boeing will deliver a combat-ready tanker with maximum capability at the lowest cost," the US company said.

Los Angeles-based Northrop, and its partner Airbus parent European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co (EADS) are offering a tanker based on the Airbus A330.