WASHINGTON (AP) - Boeing has asked the Air Force for an immediate debriefing on why a $40 billion dollar tanker contract was awarded to its rival Airbus and partner Northrop Grumman.
Chicago-based Boeing has been supplying air-to-air refueling tankers to the Air Force for nearly 50 years and had been widely expected to win the deal.
Boeing said the Air Force has told it a debriefing would occur on March 12th.
Meanwhile, two top Air Force acquisition officials are scheduled to testify about the contract before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense tomorrow.
The contract to build up to 179 tankers is the first of three Air Force awards worth as much $100 billion dollars to replace its entire refueling tanker fleet over the next 30 years.
