AFP - Boeing won Thursday for the second time the mega-tanker contract from the U.S. Air Force, crushing rival Airbus, which was nevertheless given favorite after years of political and legal twists.
"Today, on the basis of criteria evaluated (...) we announce that the Air Force has selected a proposal by the Boeing Company," said Secretary of the Army of the Air, Michael Donley, during a press briefing at the Pentagon.
Mr. Donley said the contract on 179 units, was valued at "more than 30 billion dollars."Eighteen aircraft will be delivered by 2017.
"Boeing wins hands down," noted Assistant Secretary of Defense William Lynn, when asked if it was difficult to decide between the two aircraft manufacturers for the contract, one of the most disputed of history of aviation.
Mr. Donley has ensured that the order was issued after a selection process "fair, open and transparent". He hoped that "both parties will respect this decision and allow this important acquisition to proceed without hindrance."
Industry experts expect indeed to make this call that EADS, which would block the contract.Before the announcement, Michael Boyd, president of a consulting firm specializing in aviation, had predicted that, regardless of the Pentagon's decision, one of the two groups would appeal, as the American states who would feel aggrieved.
Noting that the aircraft never flew Boeing, EADS said he was "disappointed" and "worried" the U.S. decision, without indicating whether he planned to appeal, as he has the chance.
Boeing said he was "honored" by the Pentagon's decision and "ready" to produce devices that will allow the U.S. Air Force to continue to deploy worldwide.
The contract is intended to replace the aging fleet of KC-135 dating from the '50s.
The story of the tender is peppered with twists, including a conflict of interest scandal. The contract was canceled twice, having been awarded to Boeing for the first time in 2003 and a second in 2008 to Airbus and its American ally Northrop Grumman.
EADS, Airbus' parent company, was launched this time without a major trading partner, but with the support of hundreds of U.S. equipment.
EADS praised the military version of its Airbus A330, the KC-45, as "the only real-tanker aircraft already in operation.The European, who had reviewed last week's price decline, suggested that its production in the United States would generate 48,000 jobs in the country.
Boeing said on his part that his aircraft was offering "a fuel consumption 24% lower than the unit proposed by EADS," and he would support 50,000 jobs in the United States.
The battle between the two giant aircraft was dubbed a political fight in Washington.
Patty Murray, Senator for the State of Washington (northwest), where Boeing planned to build the tankers at its plant in Everett, hailed "a major victory for American workers, the aerospace industry and the U.S. U.S. Army. "
However, elected officials in Alabama (south), where the tanker would have been assembled at Airbus, the European supporters.
The president of the AFL-CIO, Richard Trumka, hailed "a tremendous boost to American workers and the goal of President Obama create jobs in the country"
The Defence Committee of the House of Representatives has announced it will hold a hearing to ensure that assessments made by the Pentagon has been "transparent and fair for each competitor."
