Company "Very Optimistic" About Future Of Tanker Deal
In spite of allegations that the
deal was rigged, in spite of the fact two company executives were
fired for breaching ethics in the process of completing the
agreement, Boeing says it's now "very optimistic" about Boeing's
767 tanker deal.
"We believe that the 767 is the only aircraft that best meets
the solutions required by the Air Force to satisfy their great
needs for tankers in the future," said Boeing spokesman Douglas
Kennett. "We're very optimistic."
Why the optimism? Last week, the House Armed Services Committee
passed the 2005 Defense Authorization Bill. The measure includes
$95 million to speed up the Air Force's lease of 20 767 aircraft to
replace the aging KC-135 fleet. The Air Force plans to purchase
another 80 767 tankers.
The measure would also set up a
committee of outside experts who would be tasked with making sure
the controversial deal makes sense. A lot of lawmakers on Capitol
Hill are worried that Boeing bullied the bill through Congress when
it was approved last year, before the scandal involving CFO Michael
Sears and former Air Force negotiator Darleen Druyun came to
light.
Druyun reportedly accepted employment as a senior Boeing vice
president before the deal was consummated. That would be a direct
violation of Pentagon ethics. Boeing also reportedly rewrote the
government's request for proposal, making sure the Chicago-based
aircraft manufacturer would have an edge over Europe's Airbus in
the tanker competition. Druyun last month pleaded guilty to
conspiracy for talking to Boeing about a job even as the tanker
negotiations continued.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) is said to be 100 percent
behind the idea of putting the tanker deal on a fast track. That's
something Boeing is all too happy to see -- an ally on Capitol
Hill, where allies seem to be few and far between these days.
"The Air Force urgently needs these
new tankers to fight the war on terror," said Boeing's John
Feehery. "The speaker is optimistic that the Department of Defense
will sign a contract for 100 tankers this fall."
But before that happens, the measure still has to pass the
Senate Armed Services Committee, where it could face trouble from
the likes of Senator John McCain (R-AZ). He and other senators say
the bill is bad for taxpayers.
Boeing indeed, however, seemed on the way to building the new
tankers when Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld put the project on
hold December 1st.
But the deal is by no means done -- yet. The Pentagon's own
science advisory board says the problem of corrosion aboard KC-135
tankers is "manageable," contrary to the Air Force's own expert
opinions. The military's top weapons procurement official, Michael
Wynne, reportedly wants to see more results on that issue before
making a decision to go with the 767. Even if the decision is made
to go ahead with buying new tankers, however, Wynne has said he
might consider reopening the bidding process. That's something
Boeing certainly doesn't want to see happen, since that would bring
its arch-rivals Lockheed-Martin and Airbus back into the
picture.