Category Archives: Defense Department

Air Force, Boeing, Contractors & Vendors, Defense Department, EADS, Northrop Grumman

AF tankers will be picked by ‘entire’ DOD

Remember the KC-X competition? That Air Force program to buy a new tanker that the Air Force just couldn’t get right, over and over?

Well, ASecDef for AT&L Dr. Ashton Carter has now said that the ‘entire department’ will take a role in picking the winner of the KC-X contract, to replace the aging KC-135 (many of which are older than this correspondent, who is halfway to 90).

The competition is, allegedly, to be re-launched this fall, with the same two contenders, Boeing and the team of Northrop Grumman and EADS  competing for what will likely amount to a $35 billion contract to build 179 planes.  Odds are that the DOD will play Solomon with this contract at this point, and split the baby in half between the two in an attempt to avoid any further delays.

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Contractors & Vendors, Defense Department, Policy

Asst. SecDef for AT&L says defense industry's health must be protected

“I feel industrial base issues are completely legitimate because having the best defense industrial and technology base in the world is not a birthright,” Carter said during a Sept. 1 interview. “It’s not about jobs, it’s about certain kinds of jobs: very skilled, very rare kinds of skills that are not easily replicated in the commercial world and if allowed to erode would be difficult to rebuild.”

“In the cases of the cancellation of the next-generation bomber and TSAT, we need to look at the implications of our program moves for these specialized skill sets. I intend to do so.”

via Carter: DoD Plans Must Consider Industry’s Health – Defense News.

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