KC-X specs should be released in September - Military News | News From Afghanistan, Iraq And Around The World - Military Times

KC-X specs should be released in September

McCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. — Details of what the Air Force wants from its next-generation aerial refueling tanker, the KC-X, should be released in September, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley told hundreds of airmen here for Air Mobility Command’s Rodeo competition.

If that date holds, the KC-X tanker could be chosen by mid-2010.

“We think we can make a source selection in the May/June time frame,” Donley said Wednesday.

Last year, the Pentagon awarded a $40 billion contract for 179 tankers to Northrop Grumman Corp. and then canceled the deal after competitor Boeing Co. protested. The Government Accountability Office concluded the Air Force had unfairly penalized Boeing’s smaller plane.

The day before Donley spoke, the head of Air Mobility Command was clear about his disappointment with the tanker program.

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t frustrated,” Gen. Arthur Lichte told reporters at Rodeo. “I’d love to be able to say by the next mobility Rodeo [in 2011], we’ll have a new tanker. But, realistically that’s not going to happen.”

A new tanker at the 2013 Rodeo is possible, Lichte added.

The new tanker offer needs to pass several mileposts before the request for proposals is issued. Right now, the proposal package is being reviewed for potential problems, Donley said.

Lichte agreed that checks are needed to protect against another contract award reversal.

“We need to make sure we get this right,” the AMC commander said. “We can’t afford to keep having it kicked down the road, whether it’s through protests or mistakes.”

Undecided is whether the Air Force or the Defense Department will be lead agency for choosing the tanker, the secretary said.

After the GAO’s criticism of the service, Defense Secretary Robert Gates put his department’s acquisition office in charge of the effort.

Until the request for proposals is issued, Donley said he can’t discuss what requirements have been set for the KC-X. The 2008 award was criticized in part for vague specifications, such as how much to emphasize the tanker’s cargo capacity.

A split buy — getting planes from two manufacturers — is a proposal favored by some lawmakers, notably Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee.

Gates has said he opposes a split buy and Donley said the Air Force, too, prefers going with one tanker model.

Purchasing two planes to fly the same mission would force the Air Force to buy twice as many planes a year — 30 instead of 15 — that it has money budgeted for and would lead to additional maintenance and training costs as well, Donley said.