PARIS, June 18 (UPI) -- Northrop Grumman said Monday it is set to begin final assembly of its first U.S. variant of the KC-30 air tanker.
The aircraft could be delivered to the U.S. Air Force in the fall.
The company announced at the Paris Air Show that the final assembly work on the plane would begin this week in France even though the Air Force has not yet selected a winner of the lucrative KC-X tanker contract.
Northrop Vice President Paul Meyer said the decision to forge ahead showed that the KC-30 team was ready to begin delivering aircraft "right away" so the Air Force can begin the long-awaited replacement of the aging KC-135 fleet as soon as possible.
"Early assembly of the first development aircraft, designated D-1, is a tangible reflection of the KC-30 team's ability to reduce risk and ensure a time-certain development process," Meyer said. "We're prepared to deliver D-1 to the Air Force this November, one month after projected contract award."
D-1 is not the first variant of the KC-30 class. The plane, which is based on the Airbus A330 airliner, has been sold to Australia, Britain and the United Arab Emirates. The initial Australian plane, the KC-30B, is on display this week at the big air show at Le Bourget Airport.
The KC-30 is the larger of the two planes vying for the KC-X contract. Boeing's team is offering the KC-767, which is based on the Boeing 767 jet and is similar in capacity to the KC-135. Boeing, however, says its plane has advantages over the KC-30 when operating out of smaller airfields.
