Now that the bids are in for the Air Force’s KC-X tanker, the Pentagon’s formal source-selection process has begun. As part of that, the clamps have come down on what the Air Force may disclose. “In order protect the integrity and independence of this process, we are prohibited by the Federal Acquisition Regulation from providing further detail,” Air Force spokeswoman Col. Debra Millett tells the Daily Report. However, she added, the Defense Department “is committed to a free, fair, and open competitive process within the parameters of those rules and regulations.” The Air Force expects to award the KC-X contract sometime this fall, she confirmed. The KC-X program is projected to have a value of at least $35 billion over its lifetime.
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.