Unnamed sources told Reuters news service that Gen. Duncan McNabb, the Air Force vice chief of staff, met with senior executives of Boeing and Northrop Grumman to urge them to curb their public statements over the KC-X tanker program award. Reuters reporter Andrea Shalal-Esa quoted one unnamed source as saying, “There is a lot of unhappiness about how vitriolic the debate has become.” As we’ve reported on numerous occasions, the Air Force awarded the contract to Northrop Grumman, and predictably losing competitor Boeing filed a protest. The award and subsequent protest has drawn intensive Congressional interest, sparking angry debate and comment on and off the floor. And, CongressDaily reports that just last week, a group of lawmakers led a rally of Boeing aerospace workers on Capitol Hill, vowing to overturn the award.
Planning an Air Show Is Hard. At Andrews, It’s Even Harder
Sept. 17, 2025
Joint Base Andrews opened its flightline this month to thousands of civilians, exposing a normally restricted airbase that regularly hosts the president and foreign dignitaries to a curious public eager to see current and historic military aircraft up close and in action.
