Just when you thought the Air Force refueling tanker controversy was over — now this:
European based aviation giant EADS (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company), which previously submitted bids to build the tanker in partnership with the American based Northrop Grumman, announced today it’s considering going in alone.
Just last week Northrop Grumman announced the partnership would not bid on the tanker, claiming the Defense Department’s revised Request for Proposal (RFP) was biased, leaving Boeing as the sole bidder.
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said Friday that the Defense Department is considering EADS’ request for a 90 day extension on the timeline to submit their own proposal. That would bring the new deadline to submit a contract proposal to roughly August 10th.
Northrop Grumman, in cooperation with EADS, won a bid to build the desperately needed new fleet of refueling tankers last year, but the GAO later ruled the RFP was flawed, thus revoking the contract. The contract is worth 35 billion dollars.