For Immediate Release:

Friday, August 22, 2008

“The Pentagon has made major requirement and evaluation changes to its draft tanker bid that will require adequate time for both competitors to respond. 

“This is a $40 billion contract to design and build the backbone of our nation's military might and the requirements have changed overnight.  The draft RFP clearly favors a larger plane.  Providing only 60 days for a major design overhaul not only skews the competition towards Airbus but also breaks the promise of a fair competition for our military and taxpayers.

“For the better part of a century, America's Boeing workers have built and maintained the air refueling tankers flown by our nation's military in times of war and peace.  Boeing’s planes are both time and battle-tested and our aerospace workers are capable of building this new generation of tankers.  But if the competition is inherently unfair, even the best plane and the best workforce can’t win.

“Our men and women in uniform have waited long enough for these tankers, and they deserve to know they are getting the best plane for the mission at hand.   That assurance requires a fair competition.  That fair competition can’t happen on the Pentagon’s aggressive time table.”