The House has adopted a provision for the Fiscal 2011 defense authorization bill that would require the Defense Department to factor “any unfair competitive advantage an offeror may possess” in the Air Force’s KC-X tanker competition. This would compel Pentagon officials to weigh the World Trade Organization’s March ruling on aircraft subsidies in its evaluation of the KC-X bids expected from Boeing and EADS North America. WTO found that European aircraft maker Airbus, a part of EADS, has received improper subsidies from European governments, which Boeing supporters say places Boeing at an unfair advantage. Pentagon officials thus far have kept the US-Europe subsidies dispute out of KC-X. Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) introduced the measure May 27 on the House floor on behalf of a bipartisan group of members, including Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.) who was instrumental in its formulation. It overwhelmingly passed 410-8. (Inslee statement)
“Military history shows that the best defense is almost always a maneuvering offense supported by solid logistics. This was true for mechanized land warfare, air combat, and naval operations since World War II. It will also be true as the world veers closer to military conflict in space,” writes Aidan…