General: No More Tanker Delays

[unhappycamper]

General: No More Tanker Delays
September 04, 2008
Chicago Tribune

WASHINGTON -- A top U.S. Air Force general is warning that a further delay in overhauling the Eisenhower-era aerial-refueling-tanker fleet could leave the service flying some of its aircraft for decades longer.

The comments by Gen. Arthur Lichte, who heads the service's Air Mobility Command, come as the Pentagon considers whether to agree to Chicago-based Boeing Co.'s demand that it delay a final request for bids for the $35 billion tanker program by six months, effectively kicking the decision on the contract to the next administration. He urged that the Pentagon stick to its plan to complete the bidding process on the lucrative defense contract by the end of the year.

Lichte noted that if the tanker program is delayed another year or two, some of the aircraft in the fleet could be more than 80 years old by the time they are retired.

"It's unconscionable that we're asking people to fly in combat in 50-year-old airframes," Lichte told the Defense Writers Group.

Boeing officials have said they may not compete for the tanker contract if the Pentagon does not give them the additional time to prepare a new bid. Pentagon officials want to complete the bidding process by the end of the year, a new timeline that was unveiled after the Government Accountability Office this summer called on defense officials to rebid the contract.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/general-no-more-tanker-delays-.html?col=1186032369229

[FreakinDJ]

1. brought to you by "Air-Bus Inc."

thanks for playing General