WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 (UPI) -- Northrop Grumman has decided to join the bidding for the U.S. Air Force's massive KC-X air tanker project.
Northrop had been holding back its decision, but announced Thursday it would join Boeing in the competition for the multi-billion dollar project.
After carefully studying the final language in the Air Force's KC-X request for proposals, we and our team members have determined that the Northrop Grumman KC-30 is a very competitive offering that fully supports the Air Force's tanker mission," said Northrop Vice President Scott Seymour.
The KC-X program will select a plane to replace the aging KC-135 that currently provides in-air refueling for U.S. warplanes on their far-flung missions. The Air Force calls KC-X a top priority and is expected to spend some $40 billion for more than 100 aircraft.
Boeing was the first and thus far only bidder for the contract. It proposed selling the Pentagon a tanker based on its Boeing 767 airliner, which is described as smaller but less expensive than Northrop's KC-30, which is basically a modified Airbus A330-200 airliner.
Northrop did not immediately respond to the Air Force Request for Proposal issued earlier this month due to concerns about the bidding process. However Seymour said a careful reading of the request mollified those worries.
"We appreciate the Air Force acquisition authority's process transparency and invitation for industry dialogue which have resulted in this very comprehensive, capabilities-based final request for proposal, he said.
The final deadline for formal bids is April 1. The Air Force plans to begin deploying the new tankers in 2010.
