By Emelie Rutherford
Two outspoken congressional critics of the Air Force’s award of the KC-45A aerial refueling tanker contact to Northrop Grumman [NOC] and a foreign partner over Boeing [BA] want the service to commission an independent cost assessment of each proposal.
Reps. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kans.) and Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) yesterday sent a letter to Air Force assistant secretary for acquisition Sue Payton requesting such an assessment of the KC-30 aircraft proposed by a Northrop Grumman- European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. (EADS) team and Boeing’s KC-767.
“An independent cost estimate is the only way to ensure the Air Force, Congress and the American people know the true cost of each KC-X proposal,” the letter released by Tiahrt’s office says. The Air Force had no response by Defense Daily‘s deadline.
The lawmakers’ letter alleges the tanker competition “failed to accurately assess the true cost of the two proposals.” They write “it now appears a full cost accounting was not performed,” in the area of military construction. They say Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve officials testified during a May 8 Senate Appropriations military construction subcommittee hearing that they were not consulted about the costs of improving runways and hangars at their installations for either proposal.
The Air Force awarded the tanker contract, estimated ultimately to be worth more than $35 billion, on Feb. 29 to the Northrop Grumman-EADS team. Boeing protested the tanker award March 11, and the Government Accountability Office has until day’s end June 19 to issue a decision.