The Air Force should split its contract for new aerial refueling tankers evenly between Boeing and a rival team of Northrop Grumman and EADS, the Mobile (Ala.) Press-Register said Tuesday."Despite Defense Secretary Robert Gates' insistence that a split award would cost taxpayers more money, we think it would be more efficient and faster in getting new refueling tankers in the air, while reducing maintenance costs," the paper wrote in an editorial.
"And if one aircraft in the initial order proves to be superior in practice, future orders can go to that company."
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I thought the competition ended with a judgment as to which aircraft was superior. It's just that Boeing bought too many politicians to accept defeat.
ReplyDeleteA split tanker buy doesn't just cost the taxpayers money on this particular program. It rewards corruption in the US Congress and incompetence in the US defense industry, ensuring inefficiencies and cost blowouts on innumerable future weapons programs.
If Boeing wants to be a state arms cooperative with guaranteed work we should nationalize them and be done with it.