Defense Tech: Boeing: AF Had Worries About EADS Boom


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Edited by Christian Lowe \| Contact

Boeing: AF Had Worries About EADS Boom

This article first appeared at Aerospace Daily & Defense Report.

Members of the U.S. Air Force's source selection group raised concerns about the performance of the EADS refueling boom design during the KC-X tanker competition, according to Mark McGraw, Boeing's tanker executive.

The Air Force officials were "speaking loudly" behind closed doors in meetings about their worries, and this information found during the discovery phase of Boeing's protest of the award to Northrop Grumman/EADS is "very encouraging" support for the company's protest, McGraw told reporters during an April 3 teleconference.

McGraw says, based on Northrop Grumman documents reviewed by Boeing lawyers, that it is unclear whether EADS would reuse the boom for the Australian tanker on the U.S. tanker or use a modified design. The boom program has experienced delays and a restructuring. Northrop Grumman says the boom is the same one now on the Australian Multirole Tanker Transport and is being tested for fuel passage on an Airbus A310 test platform.

Air Force worries about the risk associated with EADS' boom performance, however, weren't included in the final assessment of scoring for the team, McGraw says. This is one reflection of how McGraw says the Air Force unfairly docked Boeing's proposal for cost and risk while ignoring potential pitfalls with the Northrop Grumman/EADS North America KC-45 design.

Boeing filed its protest March 11, and the company plans to file a fourth supplemental protest document by April 4. The supplemental filings expand what Boeing sees as evidence of its claims. During this period, Boeing's lawyers are "firewalled," and able to examine Air Force and Northrop Grumman documentation. The full extent of the documents hasn't been made public, and McGraw says he doesn't have access to it.

Read more on the tanker boom, Frenchies coming to Red Flag, bloated heavy lifters and an amazing Coast Guard rescue from Aviation Week on Military.com

-- Christian

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Posted by: ahjst at June 11, 2008 11:07 AM

It would be interesting to see how this resolves. Although I'm partial to Boeing, I've taken a step back just to take a more objective 2nd look. Engineering-wise (Defense Mechanical Engineer by vocation) regarding passenger and defense applications, I tend to favor Airbus (except for the underpowered A340-300), but security-wise, I tend to favor Boeing.

Posted by: WR at April 10, 2008 08:34 AM

I wouldn't say this is clutching at straws at all. It's suppossed to be a tanker, right? So it better do a damn good job at refueling aircraft, since that's its primary mission at all. If the boom is shity, then that's a big problem. Of course, that's if you believe boeing's side of the story.

Posted by: C4Casey at April 9, 2008 09:52 PM

Boeing clutching at straws.

deary me..

Posted by: Riss at April 8, 2008 07:54 PM

"Oh fer chrissake, the credibility of such an allegation is ZERO and both Aerospace Daily and DT should be ashamed to repeat Boeing propaganda."

So i take it from that comment you sat in on these meetings, or else how would you know its propaganda? oh wait whats that - your not actually anything to do with the program just someone who likes to think he knows...

Posted by: Jimbo Jones at April 8, 2008 10:51 AM

@Lugo
"Oh fer chrissake, the credibility of such an allegation is ZERO and both Aerospace Daily and DT should be ashamed to repeat Boeing propaganda."

- Aerospace and DT are repeating the news- it deals with, wait, aerospace, and defense technology. Wow, what a coincidence.

Posted by: TheFNG at April 8, 2008 03:20 AM

IMHO, this short piece is actually more 'Boeinged up' than the Amy Butler article posted 4 April at Av Week's site, but my comment there still applies:

Some members 'raised concerns'? Excellent.
A vigorous technical debate occured and ended in favoring the NG competitor. I would be alarmed if no discussions had transpired on any aspect of this competition. If Boeing's boom actually existed, the AF could have debated their technical merits just as vigorously.

It is interesting that Mr. McGraw and Boeing focus on this aspect of the competition without acknowledging that the KC-45 boom risk-reduction and testing is proceeding apace and actually passed fuel the week of the contract award, while claiming the AF did them an injustice by not including their late-breaking CPAR ratings in the management evaluation portion of the contract.

Posted by: SMSgt Mac at April 8, 2008 01:01 AM

Oh fer chrissake, the credibility of such an allegation is ZERO and both Aerospace Daily and DT should be ashamed to repeat Boeing propaganda.

Posted by: Lugo at April 7, 2008 08:56 PM

Boeing: AF Had Worries About EADS Boom

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