Not so fast, Airbus!

[PreContact]

You believe....or you know for a fact...since you are one of those who "knows"

It was never public information. This was from unofficial sources. The 767 can refuel the CV-22 while the 330 cannot.

 

[JFReservist]

more than the cv-22

The Marines were the first to complain about the inability to refuel the Osprey. According to the GAO, the A-330 cannot refuel fighter aircraft (or anything requiring an overrun/breakaway speed of 335 KIAS), much less the CV-22.

The A-330 Vmo is 330 KIAS. This was ignored by the USAF. It was a required performance factor that was not counted against NG/EADS.

Like it or not, the KC-45A will look a lot like a 767...

 

[Cobra17]

I like it. The AF has already screwed it up twice, hopefully the 3rd time's a charm.

 

[Beaver79]

Impressive. In a guard and reserve unit, you would be referred to as "the new guy"

Now that's funny!

 

[JungleJett]

Guard and Reserve guys always think they are cooler than they really are.

Sort of like wanna-be SEAL's.

 

[JungleJett]

Now that's funny!

And very true.

 

[flyguy75000]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/368402_tanker26.html?source=mypi

Loren Thompson, a noted military analyst with the Lexington Institute, a public policy research group and think tank in Arlington, Va., said the full GAO report is very damaging to the credibility of the Air Force team that picked Northrop over Boeing, and they should be replaced by the Air Force before a second competition is held.
"What's most compelling is the level of documentation for a pattern of unprofessionalism," he said. "There is copious evidence here that the people running this process just did not know what they were doing. So many of these mistakes seem to be traceable not to a bad process but to bad people who were not implementing the process objectively or professionally."
Northrop received unfair credit in several key areas, including fuel off-load requirements, the GAO said. Boeing's tanker actually met more of the requirements for aerial refueling than Northrop's tanker.
Reaction from Boeing supporters in Congress was swift.
"The full GAO report leaves no doubt that the tanker decision was fatally flawed from the outset," Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said in a written statement. "This was either due to incompetence or impropriety. In either case, this contract must be quickly rebid to ensure our warfighters don't pay the price for these mistakes."

 

[bagasticks]

Yep, you got me there. I just remember the many guard units on their way to Oman during the first gulf and how they turned around and went to Jiddah because it was a much nicer place. I also remember how they would deploy for two weeks and then go home while the AD stayed and flew. (By the way they required two days rest on each end of the deployment for time change). I remember crews making a 2nd or 3rd trip to the desert and the Lt Col's were absent. After years of flying in the US the said I think I will pass on this war.

I say let the active duty guys decide what to fly and they can pass their equipment down to the guard/reserve. Then everyone will be happy. The guard with their high time pilots can fly those old tankers that got them so much experience.

blue kool-aid and meth dont mix. . .

 

[CopilotDoug]

As a taxpayer myself I don't care who makes the fargin thing so long as I get my money's worth and the military gets the best product. This is not a jobs program or some kind of "New Deal" for the 21st century.

keep that in mind if your job gets outsourced, sport

 

[Oh-ryan]

keep that in mind if your job gets outsourced, sport

Not worried about it, Sparky. Thanks for your concern though.

Listen, as crappy as the reality is, I'd rather see Mr. Jones in Seattle lose his job at Boeing vice Capt. Smith, USAF fly anything other than the absolute best and most capable airframe into harms way.

I am not nearly qualified to say the 767 is better than the 330 or vice versa, but as a veteran I am qualified to say that our boys and girls deserve the best that taxpayer money can buy. Does that always happen? No, but that is what we should strive for.

As this mess unfolds it appears that there were some schenanigans (yet again) in the award process. I personnally hope that Boeing does get the contract so that Mr. Jones can keep his job, but I still want the best for Capt Smith.