The Weekly StandardBuying tankers from the French. Who'd have thought THAT ten years ago?Northrop Grumman and EADS have somehow managed to defeat heavy-favorite Boeing in the battle to replace the Air Force's aging fleet of aerial refueling tankers. The initial contract for 80 aircraft is valued at $40 billion, and the service has plans to purchase as many as 100 more at an as yet undetermined cost.
The Northrop KC-30, which is based on the EADS Airbus A-330 passenger jet, had been considered the more capable aircraft. It's bigger, which means it can carry 20 percent more fuel, 20 percent more passengers, and 30 percent more cargo. It can also carry 45,000 pounds more fuel than Boeing's KC-767. But Boeing had pitched the smaller size of the 767 as a feature, rather than a handicap. However, the 767 is at the end of its commercial life. The military would have been the only customer for the airplane had Boeing won the contract, raising concerns about maintenance costs.
Frankly, with Boeing's attempt to 'lease' tankers to the Air Force a few years back, I'm glad to see they're being bought outright. These are aircraft that'll be used for decades - you don't want to have to worry about 35 cents a mile overage when you turn them in at the end of the lease period!
J.