Takes Flight

04 Apr 2008
DefenseTech.org conclusion: Air Force right in choosing Northrop Grumman
Over at DefenseTech.org, analyst Norman Polmar takes a look at Northrop Grumman's win of the Air Force contract to build a new generation of aerial refueling tankers — and concludes the Air Force was right.

Polmar correctly notes that the bidding process began only after a Boeing official and former Air Force officer were jailed on corruption charges relating to Boeing's leasing deal with the Air Force, and then takes a careful look at how the Air Force decided Northrop Grumman had the superior bid.

Throughout what he describes as a "rigorous and transparent process," he notes Northrop Grumman won "on the basis of cost, and in most selection categories, superior performance."

He also raises a point few others have made — that the Northrop Grumman plane, an A330MRTT, has also been picked by other countries for their refueling tankers, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, among others.

He also picks apart Boeing's erroneous arguments that American jobs and military technology will go abroad as a result of Northrop Grumman's win.

"The competition was fair and transparent," Polmar writes. "For several reasons, the A330MRTT was the right selection. Time to move on."

To read Polmar's entire column, go to:
http://www.defensetech.org/archives/004099.html

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