The Def
ense Acquisition Board now will not take up the KC-X tanker replacement contract award until Feb. 25 or 26, instead of the earlier date of Feb. 13. There was no word on what has prompted the delay, but Air Force officials have steadfastly maintained that the service would take the time necessary to ensure a thorough—protest-safe—selection process. The service has dubbed the new tanker KC-45 and plans three buys, starting with 179 aircraft in the X program and followed by Y and Z increments to replace its entire KC-135 fleet. USAF has requested $62 million in its Fiscal 2009 budget proposal to fund advance procurement of parts for five KC-45s it plans to buy in Fiscal 2010.
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.