Boeing lands major deal with Air Force
$16 billion air tanker lease likely to create thousands of jobs and keep 767 line alive
By CHARLES POPE
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON -- To the cheers and relief of state officials and aerospace workers, the Pentagon yesterday finalized a $16 billion deal to lease 100 767 aircraft from The Boeing Co. to become the Air Force's new generation of aerial tankers.
Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition Pete Aldridge said the Pentagon plans to replace 545 aging KC-135 tankers with 500 or so new planes. Boeing, he said, "would have a leg up" in the competition to build those planes as well.
He all but conceded that Boeing's only rival, Airbus, would not be considered for the contracts.
The Associated Press reported yesterday that "The new planes will carry 20 percent more jet fuel than the current fleet and can be refueled in flight themselves" according to Air Force officials.
Putting these last two facts together, the question has been asked: Quis refueliet ipsos refueles? (Who will refuel the refuelers?) A DOD spokesman explained that the other 400 tankers would be responsible for refueling the first 100. Asked who would refuel those 400, he replied "Hmmmm. I guess we need a few more. Time to buy more Boeing stock." He did assure reporters that "No matter how many tankers we buy, we'll never run out of fuel to fill them with. Even if Iraq runs dry, there's plenty of oil in Iran." Asked if this was simply a giant hydrocarbon-based Ponzi scheme designed to keep Exxon and Halliburton in business until the Sun grows cold, he replied "there was no looting."