Air Force chief: Tanker process won’t be rushed

The Air Force chief on Tuesday cautioned that his service is ensuring that the selection of a new refueling tanker fleet is done “right” rather than “fast.”

The Air Force has been expected to announce the winner of the $35 billion contract by year’s end.

Gen. Norton Schwartz, the Air Force’s chief of staff, refused to reveal a selection date or confirm that a winner will be announced by the end of the year.

Boeing and EADS North America are going head-to-head for one of the Pentagon’s largest contracts over the next several years. EADS is the parent company of Airbus, Boeing’s biggest rival on the commercial aircraft market. Both companies are competing for the tanker contract with modified versions of their commercial aircraft, the Boeing 767 and the Airbus 330.

Boeing and EADS have waged an intense lobbying and public relations battle for the contract.

Schwartz said the selection process is “coming to a conclusion in the next few months.”

“In my view, it is more important to get it right than to get it fast,” Schwartz said at a National Press Club luncheon.

The tanker program has had its share of controversies over the years. The Air Force is trying to replace its Eisenhower-era tanker fleet for the third time. 

The Air Force awarded a new contract to Northrop Grumman and EADS in 2008, but Boeing successfully protested that award with the Government Accountability Office. 

Defense Secretary Robert Gates decided to start the competition from scratch. In the meantime, Northrop Grumman stepped aside, and EADS decided to compete against Boeing on its own.