

The Air Force tanker drama continues...








Comments     Threshold


RE: This is getting ridiculous...
By Solandri on 8/22/2008 2:51:43 PM , Rating: 5
From what I read in the GAO report, what happened is: Air Force gave some performance requirements the plane had to meet. Boeing asked if they would be given credit for exceeding some of those requirements (size, range). Air Force said no. Boeing submitted a bid which met those requirements. EADS submitted a bid which exceeded those requirements. Air Force awarded the contract to EADS partially based on it exceeding the requirements of size/range, factors it had told Boeing would not affect the decision.

Boeing cried foul. GAO reviewed the process and told the Air Force you can't do that. Do it again and do it right this time. Air Force gave both competitors new requirements, but now these requirements are for a larger plane with more range. EADS bid already matches the new requirements. Boeing plane does not. Boeing (understandably) asks for more time to redesign its plane to match new requirements.

Anyhow, I don't believe the Air Force is allowed to award a contract without at least two bidders. So Boeing is going to get the time it wants. EADS did the same thing (threatening to withdraw its bid) during the first bid. It's just the way these things work. Wasteful perhaps, but I would rather the decision be made based on the best design each bidder can put forth, not based on some half-assed design rushed to meet an arbitrary deadline. So in this case I think oiling the squeaking wheels is going to result in a better outcome for the Air Force.

RE: This is getting ridiculous...
By mezman on 8/22/2008 5:02:13 PM , Rating: 1
That's exactly right. The Air Force decided on it's selection criteria during the pre-award survey and then didn't follow it's own criteria and selected NG/EADS by giving credit for exceeding the requirements when the USAF said it wasn't gonna. It's good that Boeing is getting a second, fair, shot I think.

RE: This is getting ridiculous...
By FITCamaro on 8/22/08, Rating: -1
RE: This is getting ridiculous...
By Screwballl on 8/23/2008 11:09:28 AM , Rating: 2
This is something that affects me locally... we have Eglin AFB, Tyndall, Pensacola NAS (in Florida) and Mobile, AL within range that will be dealing with much of the work as long as EADS gets the bid. There are a lot of civilian and military contractors here, and each one of them that were familiar with this situation stated pretty much that same thing:
Boeing cannot come up with a qualifying product without severely going over the proposed budget AND outsourcing a majority of the work outside of the US. Boeing submitted a design that was based on the bare requirements only. EADS chose to go above and beyond and submitted a better design and won the contract. The original contract was awarded properly but this is just a case of Boeing being a big baby and delaying the inevitable.

Let Boeing handle the commercial sector and EADS/Northrup/Grumman to the military. The military can award a bid for only one bidder if there have been previous bids that did not meet the current requirements, such as in this case. They gave Boeing several months and if they cannot comply or come up with a design within the requirements, then they lose the bid, even with a "no-bid".

In this case, oiling the squeaky wheel will not help, the tire is flat.

RE: This is getting ridiculous...





