WA officials disappointed at Boeing loss in tanker bid

Members of Congress from Washington state said Friday they were shocked and disappointed at the Air Force's decision to award a long-awaited contract for aerial refueling tankers to Northrop Grumman and EADS rather than Boeing Co.

"It's just a disaster," said Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., one of Boeing's biggest supporters in Congress.

"I'm extremely disappointed," Dicks said. "It's just one of the worst things in my whole life. I am just shocked over this."

Gov. Chris Gregoire called the Air Force decision unfortunate for Boeing and the state of Washington.

"Boeing and its workers build the best planes in the world. They will continue to enjoy great success with their 787 Dreamliner and other innovative products still to come," she said, calling the Chicago-based company a valued corporate citizen of her state.

Boeing, Washington state's largest private employer, would have built the tankers, based on its 767 jetliners, at Everett, Wash.

In a joint statement, the state's two senators and six of its nine House members said they were outraged by the choice of a European company "and its foreign workers" to provide a tanker to the U.S. military.

"This is a blow to the American aerospace industry, American workers and America's men and women in uniform," said the statement, which was issued by Dicks, Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, and Reps. Rick Larsen, Jay Inslee, Adam Smith, Jim McDermott and Dave Reichert. All but Reichert are Democrats.

"Boeing has 75 years of experience in building the tankers our military flies. Washington state's workers are second to none and so is their product," the statement said.

"At a time when our economy is hurting, this is a blow not only to our state, but the more than 40 states across the country who would help build this national plane. We will be asking tough questions about the decision to outsource this contract. We look forward to hearing the Air Force's justification."

Boeing spokesman Jim Condelles said the company won't make a decision about appealing the award until it is briefed by Air Force officials about their decision.

Boeing believes it offered the best value and lowest risk, he said.

The decision means Boeing will eventually phase out its 767 line at the factory in Everett. Condelles said the plane is still for sale and Boeing has 51 passenger and cargo versions of the plane on order. It also is building military tanker versions of the 767 for Italy and Japan.

Boeing has said the new 787 would take the 767's place in the commercial market.

Gregoire and other officials said they look forward to the Pentagon briefing to justify a decision that came as a surprise to lawmakers and industry analysts.

The Defense Department had previously identified Boeing tankers as highly rated, cost-effective updates to the tanker force, Adam Smith said.

A spokesman for the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, the union that represents about 24,000 engineers and technical workers at Boeing, said it also was disappointed.

Tom Wroblewski, president of Machinists Union District 751, was outraged at the decision, which he called ill-considered.

"Airbus does not even currently build a tanker. It is a paper airplane only, and they do not even have a factory built in the U.S. at this time," Wroblewski said. "Our members could have started building the tanker today, and we have a superior product that has already been delivered to customers."

Because of the Air Force decision, "America has to rely on a foreign country to defend our nation. This is wrong. And we will not stand silent on this issue," he said.

A few dozen workers protested outside a Machinists Union hall in Everett. They had signs made up to celebrate getting the contract, but instead made up new ones, saying "American workers equal best tankers" and "Our military deserves the best."

Stosh Tomala, a flight line mechanic who has worked for Boeing for 20 years, said the workers are upset because they believe the contract should have been theirs.

Boeing initially won the contract, then lost it in 2004 in a procurement scandal that sent two top Boeing officials to prison.

"This was a locked-down deal. We're being penalized for something that wasn't our fault," Tomala said. "We have a factory, we're ready to build, we have the people, and we're going to lose jobs over this."

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Associated Press Writers Donna Gordon Blankinship, Gene Johnson and Doug Esser in Seattle contributed to this story.

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On the Net:

Boeing tanker Web site: http://www.globaltanker.com