Boeing claims Air Force skewed rules

The A330 proposed by Airbus parent European Aeronautic Defence & Space (EADS) and Northrop Grumman is a larger aircraft than the Boeing 767, based on a newer design.

At the award announcement Feb. 29, Air Mobility Command Gen. Arthur Lichte said the size had been decisive, summing up the Air Force preference with "One word: More."

The Air Force concluded that in addition to refueling missions, Northrop/EADS' bigger planes could be used to ferry more military supplies, troops and medical evacuees.

Boeing says the contract process was flawed in several ways. Its claims include:

• The Air Force misled Boeing, indicating it preferred a smaller aircraft, so Boeing decided not to offer its larger 777.

• The cost analysis was badly skewed so that the two planes came out even. Boeing contends the larger Airbus planes, even though fewer are needed, would be more expensive.

• The mission requirements were belatedly adjusted to favor the A330. Boeing says its smaller airplane is better suited to operate out of austere airfields near combat zones.

• The Air Force erred by not concluding the Northrop/EADS manufacturing plan is more risky. A330 tanker sections will have to be shipped across the Atlantic, then assembled and finished in two Alabama factories not yet built.

The 767 tanker was to be built on the current assembly line in Everett.