Appel d'offre USAF pour avions ravitailleurs

Tanker now; tanker-transport later?
A new Pentagon report could hint at the outcome to the upcoming Air Force aerial refueling tanker competition, an analyst wrote Thursday.

The 2011-2040 Aircraft Investment Plan submitted with the 2011 fiscal-year budget says (page 21):



The Air Force plans to develop and procure 109 new KC-X tankers by 2020. It will be able to refuel other aircraft in flight, and be refueled itself while airborne, transferring fuel to either boom or drogue receivers without having to be reconfigured for those deliveries in advance.

Over the longer term, the Air Force will evaluate options for recapitalizing its tanker fleet and assess the potential of including secondary capabilities, such as airlift, communications support, and aeromedical evacuations.



Such "secondary capabilities" are a key selling point for the Northrop Grumman-EADS Airbus A330-based tanker. Northrop officials have said they won't bid on the current tanker request without changes because they feel it favors Boeing's smaller 767-based offering.

Pentagon officials have said they don't plan major changes from the draft for their final request, which could come out as soon as Tuesday.

"The AIP, in the two short paragraphs about the KC-X, appears pretty clear: tanker now, secondary capabilities later," analyst Scott Hamilton wrote.

The draft request clearly puts little premium on the extra cargo space that the Northrop-EADS tanker offers, and Pentagon officials seem unlikely to change that.

When they get around to asking for a larger tanker-transport, I imagine Boeing will put forward a 777-based offering. How that would that stack up against the Northrop-EADS plane might, again, depend a lot on how the request is written

WASHINGTON, 22 février (Reuters) - Le secrétaire américain à la Défense Robert Gates a déclaré lundi que selon lui deux parties soumettraient une offre pour le contrat d'avions ravitailleurs (tankers) de l'US Air Force.

"Nous avons très bon espoir d'avoir deux compétiteurs", a-t-il dit.

L'Air Force a dit la semaine dernière qu'elle comptait soumettre le cahier des charges définitif d'ici la fin du mois et qu'elle se préparait à l'éventualité de voir Boeing seul en lice.

Northrop Grumman, qui fait équipe avec EADS sur ce dossier, a dit qu'il ne soumettrait pas de nouvelle proposition à moins que l'Armée de l'air ne modifie sensiblement un cahier des charges rendu public en septembre.

(Tabassum Zakaria, version française Wilfrid Exbrayat)

It seems to me the only thing that could get Northrop Grumman to bid for the KC-X is a nice profit.

Northrop never was a mobility systems provider, and defense business opportunities aren't growing sharply. Remember that the deal between then CEO Ron Sugar and EADS North America's Ralph Crosby (who was CEO at that time) was forged at the last minute, allegedly in a late night conversation, and after some tension.

And, it was a marriage of convenience. Northrop saw an opportunity to grow into a new area and make a profit. EADS was and still is salivating at the chance to get a stateside final assembly facility to take on Boeing in its own back yard. And, they won. And, then lost after the protest.

Fast forward to now ... Northrop's new CEO, Wes Bush, has a focus on profit, not growing business in new areas. So, I'm thinking money talks.

Once upon a time, EADS may have been able to take a bath so to speak and offer the A330s at a reduced price to Northrop; last go around the airframes were offered at a fixed price to the prime. This would get EADS on U.S. soil and offer Northrop a pretty profit for its books. Now, however, here's two reasons why I think that isn't likely:

1. EADS is saddled with problems -- expensive problems -- with A380 and A400M. Going red on another program can't be appealing to Mr. Gallois.

2. We are now looking at a fixed price contract. So, it wouldn't be a temporary bath. This would be a red mark until 2027. That wasn't the deal two years ago when Northrop/EADS won.

Then again, last go around Northrop did win on adjusted price ...

EADS executives want Northrop Grumman to bid on the Air Force's aerial refueling tanker request, despite concerns that the the request favors rival Boeing, Rueters reported Tuesday.

Northrop spokesman Randy Belote told Reuters the company is "getting closer to a decision" on whether to bid. Before last week's release of the final request, Northrop executives said they wouldn't bid without changes to draft criteria they see as favoring Boeing's smaller 767-based tanker over the Northrop-EADS Airbus A330 based offering.

While the final request does not appear to have changed those criteria, EADS still wants Northrop to bid, an unnamed European source told Reuters.

EADS executives see the tanker contract as a foothold into the United States and would use a new assembly site in Mobile, Ala., for commercial aircraft as well.

Defense consultant James Hasik wrote last week that "Not bidding could really irritate EADS," potentially landing Northrop on the sidelines of the next tanker contest, which will probably be more friendly to the larger plane.

While we're all waiting for Northrop Grumman to decide whether it wants to play, let's consider what could happen if they don't submit a bid for the $35 billion tanker contract.

In the absence of a Northrop-led proposal, what would stop EADS North America from submitting its own bid for the KC-X deal?

I can think of reasons why they would. If price is such a factor in the competition, cutting out the US flag bearer and bringing systems integration in-house might save some money. EADS NA has demonstrated it can win an aircraft contract from the US military. The 100th UH-72 Lakota for the US Army rolls off the assembly line in Mississippi next week. The company believes its solid performance on LUH allows it to compete on fair terms with American-owned companies for other Pentagon contracts.

On the other hand, there's no question EADS' chances of victory are smaller without Northrop's help. Northrop has powerful friends on Capitol Hill and a long relationship with the customer. Moreover, as long as fuel offload requirements for the next tanker are modeled on the KC-135R, the KC-45 is going to be disadvantaged against a smaller aircraft like the Boeing 767. And let's be honest: The UH-72, despite its success, is not a widebody tanker; it's a civilian airspace-only light utility helicopter.

EADS NA is not ready yet to even acknowledge whether their teaming agreement with Northrop would preclude a standalone bid, as I asked them earlier today. EADS' spokesman replied: "EADS North America is committed, under the team leadership of Northrop Grumman, to provide the most capable tanker to the US warfighter."

But I think it's still a fair question. Why not?

Boeing to Offer NewGen Tanker to US Air Force

ST. LOUIS, March 4, 2010 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] today announced that it will offer the Boeing NewGen Tanker in the competition to supply the U.S. Air Force with a multi-mission aerial refueling aircraft that will meet all the warfighter’s mission requirements for the next several decades.
Dennis Muilenburg, president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, said the Boeing NewGen Tanker will satisfy all mandatory Air Force requirements and offer an American-made tanker that will be capable, survivable, and combat-ready at the lowest cost to the taxpayer.
“Having supplied tankers to the Air Force for the past 60 years, Boeing has drawn on its unmatched aerial-refueling experience to thoroughly review and evaluate the KC-X solicitation issued by the Air Force,” Muilenburg said. “We respect and understand the KC-X requirements, and appreciate the importance of this program for the United States and its warfighters. We intend to bid for the honor to work with our Air Force customer to replace the existing fleet of KC-135 aircraft with a new-generation, multi-role tanker in a fair and transparent acquisition process.”
Boeing studied the mission requirements closely to determine the optimal airframe size that would deliver the most capability for the lowest cost to own and operate. The result was the NewGen Tanker, a widebody, multi-mission aircraft based on the proven Boeing 767 commercial aircraft, updated with the latest and most advanced technology and capable of fulfilling the Air Force’s needs for transport of fuel, cargo, passengers and patients.
The multi-mission aircraft is named NewGen because it includes several state-of-the-art systems to meet the demanding mission requirements of the future. They include:

• A digital flight deck featuring electronic displays taken directly from the most advanced commercial airliner in existence -- the Boeing 787 Dreamliner -- that show all flight attitude, navigation, engine indication and crew-alerting information on screens 75 percent larger than on a commercial Airbus A330.
  
• A new-generation fly-by-wire boom with an expanded refueling envelope and increased fuel offload rate. It will meet the Air Force requirement and simplify refueling operations to reduce workload for the aircrew and improve safety and reliability. Boeing is the only team in the KC-X competition that has invented, manufactured and delivered combat-tested aerial refueling booms.
  
• The Boeing NewGen Tanker will be controlled by the aircrew, which has unrestricted access to the full flight envelope for threat avoidance at any time, rather than allowing computer software to limit combat maneuverability.
  

The NewGen Tanker will meet all of the Air Force’s 372 rquirements -- including a production rate at whatever level the Air Force determines -- with a low-risk approach to manufacturing that relies on existing Boeing facilities in Washington state and Kansas as well as U.S. suppliers throughout the nation, with decades of experience delivering dependable military tanker and derivative aircraft.
“The NewGen Tanker will draw on the experience and talents of an integrated U.S. Tanker Team, including the best of our Boeing defense and commercial businesses and our nationwide supplier network,” said Jim Albaugh, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “It’s a proven team and existing infrastructure that is ready to deliver these NewGen Tankers on Day One.”
More cost-effective to own and operate than the larger, heavier Airbus airplane, the Boeing NewGen Tanker will save American taxpayers more than $10 billion in fuel costs over its 40-year service life because it burns 24 percent less fuel. The Boeing NewGen Tanker program also will support substantially more jobs in the United States than an Airbus A330 tanker that is designed and largely manufactured in Europe.
Boeing has been designing, building, modifying and supporting tankers for decades. Those tankers include the KC-135 that will be replaced in the KC-X competition, and the KC-10 fleet. The company also has delivered four KC-767Js to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and is on contract to deliver four KC-767s to the Italian Air Force. Three of the four Italian tankers are in flight test, with the fourth airplane in production.
The Air Force released its final KC-X Request for Proposal on Feb. 24. Boeing will deliver its proposal by May 10, within the 75-day period set forth in the terms of the solicitation. The Air Force is expected to announce its decision later this year.

The Boeing NewGen Tanker will be controlled by the aircrew, which has unrestricted access to the full flight envelope for threat avoidance at any time, rather than allowing computer software to limit combat maneuverability.

Northrop renonce au contrat des ravitailleurs US, dit EADS

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - EADS annonce que Northrop Grumman a décidé de ne pas soumettre d'offre pour un contrat d'avions ravitailleurs destinés à l'US Air Force, jugeant que le cahier des charges favorise un dérivé du 767 construit par Boeing.
L'analyse de Northrop du cahier des charges définitif confirme le souci que le marché des tankers rouvert par l'Air Force favorise l'avion de Boeing, qui est plus petit que celui dérivé de l'A330 et a moins de capacités que ce dernier, explique dans un communiqué Ralph Crosby, président d'EADS North America.
Il ajoute que c'est particulièrement décevant parce que l'Air Force avait précédemment choisi le modèle dérivé de l'A330 proposé par Northrop et EADS. Il observe que le nouveau cahier des charges ignore le supplément de capacités offert par ce dernier.

Statement from EADS North America on Northrop Grumman’s decision not to bid on the U.S. Air Force KC-X contract

Today EADS North America released the following statement from Ralph D. Crosby, Jr., Chairman of the Board.

“Five years ago EADS partnered with Northrop Grumman, as prime, to pursue the U.S. Air Force KC-135 modernization program. Two years ago our team was selected and awarded the contract. Today Northrop Grumman has decided not to submit a bid to the Department of Defense for the KC-X program.

“As a team, our serious concerns were expressed to the Department of Defense and the U.S. Air Force that the acquisition methodology outlined in the request for proposal (RFP) would heavily weigh the competition in favor of the smaller, less capable Boeing tanker. Northrop Grumman’s analysis of the RFP reaffirmed those concerns and prompted the decision not to bid.

“The source selection methodology clearly signals a preference for a smaller aircraft. This is particularly disappointing given that the Air Force previously selected the A330-based KC-45 because of its added capability, lower risk and best value for both the warfighter and U.S. taxpayer. The Defense Department’s RFP ignores the added combat capability that could be provided to our military and, for the first time, ensures that our allies will operate with superior capability in this vital mission area.

“The A330 multi-role tanker transport is the most capable, low risk tanker in the world today—having been flown, tested and proven. The A330 MRTT has been selected over the Boeing tanker in the last five consecutive competitions and will shortly enter service with several U.S. allies.

“This decision does not diminish our commitment to the U.S., or to its service men and women. The enduring strength of our commitment is reflected in the success of the Army’s Light Utility Helicopter—of which we are prime contractor and that just celebrated its 100th on-schedule delivery. And it also can be seen in the many EADS systems and capabilities that operate with the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard.

“EADS is the largest international customer for U.S. aerospace and defense products, contributing over $11 billion dollars annually to the American economy and supporting more than 200,000 high technology jobs. We remain committed to our U.S. customers, suppliers and the American workforce.

“We express our appreciation to the states and communities in which we do business, and particularly to their elected officials who have been unwavering in their determination to provide the best available capability to the American warfighter.

“We also must acknowledge the support from the leadership of France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Spain in promoting transatlantic defense cooperation as a two-way street and the interoperability that the KC-45 would offer.”

Statement From Northrop Grumman on U.S. Air Force Aerial Refueling Tanker Program

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 8, 2010 - The following is a statement from Wes Bush, Chief Executive Officer and President of Northrop Grumman Corporation, concerning the U.S. Air Force aerial refueling tanker program.
"After a comprehensive analysis of the final RFP, Northrop Grumman has determined that it will not submit a bid to the Department of Defense for the KC-X program. We reached this conclusion based on the structure of the source selection methodology defined in the RFP, which clearly favors Boeing's smaller refueling tanker and does not provide adequate value recognition of the added capability of a larger tanker, precluding us from any competitive opportunity.
"Northrop Grumman fully respects the Department's responsibility to determine the military requirements for the new tanker. In the previous competition, Northrop Grumman was selected by the Air Force as offering the most capable tanker for the warfighter at the best value for the taxpayer. However, the Northrop Grumman and EADS team is very disappointed that the revised source selection methodology now dramatically favors Boeing's smaller refueling tanker. We agree that the fundamental military requirements for the new tanker have not changed since the last competition, but the Department's new evaluation methodology now clearly favors the smaller tanker.
"We continue to believe that Northrop Grumman's tanker represents the best value for the military and taxpayer – a belief supported by the selection of the A330 tanker design over the Boeing design in the last five consecutive tanker competitions around the globe. Regrettably, this means that the U.S. Air Force will be operating a less capable tanker than many of our Allies in this vital mission area.
"Our prior selection by the Air Force, our firm belief that we provide the best value offering, and the hard work and commitment of the many individuals and communities on our team over many years made this a difficult decision for our company. But we have a fiduciary responsibility to our shareholders to prudently invest our corporate resources, as do our more than 200 tanker team suppliers across the United States. Investing further resources to submit a bid would not be acting responsibly.
"We have decided that Northrop Grumman will not protest. While we feel we have substantial grounds to support a GAO or court ruling to overturn this revised source selection process, America's service men and women have been forced to wait too long for new tankers. We feel a deep responsibility to their safety and to their ability to fulfill the missions our nation calls upon them to perform. Taking actions that would further delay the introduction of this urgent capability would also not be acting responsibly.
"We recognize that our decision likely creates a sole-source outcome for Boeing. We call on the Department to keep in mind the economic conclusions of the prior round of bidding as it takes actions to protect the taxpayer when defining the sole-source procurement contract. In the previous round, the Air Force, through a rigorous assessment of our proposal, determined that it would pay a unit flyaway cost of approximately $184 million per tanker for the first 68 tankers, including the non-recurring development costs. With the Department's decision to procure a much smaller, less capable design, the taxpayer should certainly expect the bill to be much less."

EADS tourne la page des ravitailleurs, Paris et Berlin grognent

PARIS/BERLIN (Reuters) - EADS confirme qu'il ne participera pas seul à l'appel d'offres pour les avions-ravitailleurs de l'US Air Force, après le retrait de son coéquipier américain Northrop Grumman.
La France et l'Allemagne ont déploré des conditions de concours défavorables au groupe européen d'aéronautique et de défense, qui était en concurrence avec Boeing.
Paris a indiqué qu'il demanderait à la Commission européenne d'examiner le dossier et le ministre allemand de l'Economie, Rainer Brüderle, a déclaré dans un communiqué que Washington avait accordé un net avantage à Boeing dans ce dossier.
Northrop Grumman a annoncé lundi soir qu'il renonçait à soumettre une offre pour le contrat de 35 milliards de dollars de renouvellement de la flotte d'avions-ravitailleurs de l'armée de l'air américaine, estimant que le nouveau cahier des charges favorise un avion plus petit dérivé du B767 construit par Boeing.
Tom Enders, président d'Airbus, a déclaré à Reuters qu'une proposition d'Airbus seul n'aurait pas de sens économique dans les conditions actuelles.
"Si notre partenaire est convaincu que dans les conditions actuelles, nous n'avons aucune chance de gagner, quelle que soit la qualité de l'offre, je ne peux que suivre son jugement", a ajouté Tom Enders, dans un courrier électronique à Reuters.
"Nous n'avons aucune chance de gagner la compétition dans ces conditions", a renchéri Louis Gallois, président exécutif d'EADS, lors d'une conférence de presse à l'occasion de la publication des résultats annuels du groupe.
EXPANSION AUX ÉTATS-UNIS
Louis Gallois a toutefois assuré qu'EADS poursuivrait sa stratégie d'expansion aux Etats-Unis et continuerait à nouer des partenariats avec des entreprises américaines.
Il n'a pas exclu de travailler avec Boeing à l'avenir mais a ajouté que les possibilités de travailler avec Boeing sur le futur ravitailleur de l'armée américaine étaient très limitées.
Le directeur financier d'EADS, Hans Peter Ring, a pour sa part indiqué que la décision de renoncer à participer à l'appel d'offres américain n'avait pas d'impact significatif pour le groupe.
Si EADS s'est efforcé de faire bonne figure, la France et l'Allemagne, partenaires au sein du groupe européen, ont fait la grimace.
"J'observe que la meilleure des situations est la situation de concurrence et je regrette un peu qu'Airbus (filiale d'EADS) ne se soit peut-être pas trouvé dans les meilleures situations de concurrence dans le cadre d'un appel d'offres renouvelé", a commenté la ministre française de l'Economie, Christine Lagarde.
"La France, avec la Commission européenne et ses partenaires européens concernés, va procéder à l'examen de ce nouveau développement et de ses possibles implications", a précisé de son côté le porte-parole du ministère des Affaires étrangères lors d'un point de presse électronique du Quai d'Orsay.
"Nous constatons avec une grande déception que l'appel d'offres émis par le Pentagone (...) conduit de facto les autorités américaines à un dialogue avec un fournisseur unique, au détriment d'une démarche compétitive garante de l'acquisition des meilleures capacités au meilleur prix", a-t-il ajouté.
A Berlin, le plus haut responsable allemand chargé des dossiers aéronautiques, Peter Hintze, a appelé les autorités américaines à revoir les modalités de l'appel d'offres.
"Le gouvernement américain devrait revoir cela", a-t-il dit à Reuters.

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