"Me Too, Me Too," Regional Jet Makers Say

ANN April 1st Special Edition: With the Northrop Grumman/EADS consortium still wavering on a bid in the KC-X Tanker competition, two regional jet makers are eyeing a run at Boeing for the multi-billion dollar contract.

Embraer Tanker File Photo

"We compete with Airbus and Boeing on every other level," said Orlando José Ferreira Neto, Embraer Executive Vice President, Defense Market. "We see this as another opportunity to show that we're capable of building more than just regional jets. We have a long history of providing military VIP transportation aircraft around the world, there's no reason the U.S. Air Force shouldn't consider an Embraer tanker"

The Embraer KC-195 tanker will be based on the 122-seat E195 AR, which Embraer has stretched in computer modeling to accommodate the tanker configuration. Maximum gross takeoff weight will be increased to 150,000 pounds, increasing the payload by about 45,000 pounds. "With bigger engines, it works in the computer modeling," said Neto. "We're looking to go forward and respond to the RFP."

For it's part, Bombardier says it is looking to propose an entirely different "Regional Tanker" option to the Air Force. "Rather than have enormous airplanes that can travel tens of thousands of miles, we think given the nature of armed conflicts today, a smaller regional tanker is the perfect solution," said Guy C. Hachey, President and Chief Operating Officer, Bombardier Aerospace.

The Bombardier KC-300 tanker will be based on the 149 seat CS300, which will be reinforced to handle the additional weight of fuel being carried for refueling operations. Neither company has revealed who will be completing the necessary tanker modifications, but neither is feeling any real urgency. "We've watched the protracted fight between Boeing and Northrop/EADS, and nobody seems to be in any hurry to actually build an airplane," said Hachey. "We think we've got plenty of time to complete certification on a tanker."

FMI: www.embraer.com, www.bombardier.com