Forum Views () 
Forum Replies ()  
 
 
Read more with google mobile :
US extends tanker plane deadline to allow EADS bid  
 
 
 
 
 
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
More Yahoo! Services
Account Options
New User? Sign Up
Sign In
Help
Yahoo! Search
web search
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
 
 
 
Top Stories
Most Popular
Photos
Sitemap
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
US extends tanker plane deadline to allow EADS bid
 
 
  
 
 AFP - Friday, April  2
 
 
Send
 
IM Story
 
Print
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 A US Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker tanker lowers its refueling boom to a US Air Force B-52 bomber. The Pentagon announced it will grant a request from European aerospace giant EADS to extend the deadline for bidding on a major contract for a new US aerial refueling tanker.
 
 
 
 
 
 
WASHINGTON (AFP) - – The Pentagon announced it will extend the deadline for bidding on a contract for a new US aerial refueling tanker, allowing more time for European aerospace giant EADS to bid on the lucrative deal.
 
"If we receive formal notification from EADS of their intention to make an offer, we will extend the deadlines for bids from May 10 to July 9," providing an additional 60 days to both EADS and its US rival, Boeing, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told a press conference.
 
Airbus's parent company, EADS, had asked for a 90-day extension after its US partner Northrop Grumman had dropped out of the high-stakes contest.
 
EADS acknowledged the Pentagon decision but did not say if it would return to the competition.
 
"We have firmly indicated that a 90 day extension would be the minimum time necessary to prepare a responsible proposal" for the contract, said Guy Hicks, spokesman for EADS North America.
 
"We will consider the departments decision to offer a 60 day extension," he said in a statement.
 
EADS had said earlier it would decide in two to three weeks whether to compete.
 
Despite postponing the deadline for proposals, the Pentagon still expected to issue a final award for the 35-billion-dollar contract by "early fall" as previously planned, Morrell said.
 
Defense officials hoped to adhere "pretty closely" to the original schedule by scaling back the time set aside for evaluating proposals, he said.
 
The 60-day extension was a "reasonable" period that balanced EADS' needs "against our desire to move on with this as quickly as possible," he said.
 
During a visit by French President Nicolas Sarkozy this week, President Barack Obama said the competition for the new fleet of tanker planes would be "free and fair."
 
Sarkozy said he trusted Obama, and suggested that Airbus parent EADS would return to the contest.
 
The earlier withdrawal by Northrop and EADS had opened the door for Boeing to win the contract to supply 179 tanker planes.
 
Both Northrop and EADS have charged the terms of the contest are skewed in favor of Boeing's smaller plane.
 
But the Pentagon said the requirements for the new tanker had not changed and the criteria for assessing bids remained the same.
 
Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama, an outspoken Republican advocate for EADS, welcomed the move as "the right decision."
 
"A sole-sourced contract would have served only Boeing's interests," Shelby said in a statement.
 
This year's competition marks the third attempt by the Pentagon to build a new fleet of mid-air refueling tankers, as the project has been marred by scandal and intense lobbying in Congress with members keen to win the deal for their home states.
 
Morrell denied that politics had played any role in the latest decision.
 
"Politics are not a part of this process. Never have been. Never will be," he said.
 
The terms of the competition were solely based on the requirements of the military, US law and the need to ensure taxpayer money is spent wisely, he said.
 
In the last competition, EADS and Northrop offered a modified version of the Airbus 330, while Boeing proposed an altered 767 in its bid.
 
The Northrop-EADS team originally won the contract in February 2008, but the deal was cancelled after Boeing successfully appealed the decision to the investigative arm of Congress.
 
In 2003, the Pentagon awarded a contract to Boeing but later suspended the deal after an ethics scandal involving a company executive and an Air Force official. The Air Force official was later convicted of criminal conspiracy.
 
US Air Force commanders view the planned KC-X aircraft as crucial to sustaining American air power and are anxious to replace the older Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers that date back to the 1950s.
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
Recommend
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Send
 
IM Story
 
Print
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
News Search
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Top Stories
 
 
 
 
Boeing 'disappointed' with extension of US tanker deadline
Military threatens to kill Guinea-Bissau PM
US jobless claims drop to this year's low
Mars radar could help find water in Mideast: NASA
Sherpa to carry Hillary's ashes to Everest summit
 
 
 
 More Top Stories »
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
Most Popular
 
 
 
 
Most Viewed
 
Most Recommended
 
 
 
 
Granny fined $1,500 for selling goldfish to child
 
What, or who, killed the last mammoths?
 
Toad is a telltale for impending quakes: scientists
 
Sherpa to carry Hillary's ashes to Everest summit
 
Obama to announce offshore drilling move
 
 
 More Most Viewed »
 
 
 
 
 
'Rare' fossil of new dinosaur species found in US
 
Hollywood stars help prevent suicide after Twitter alert
 
Junkies and junk-food addicts share craving mechanism
 
Toad is a telltale for impending quakes: scientists
 
 
 More Most Recommended »
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
Elsewhere on Yahoo!
 
 
 
 
Financial news on Yahoo! Finance
 
 
Stars and latest movies
 
 
Best travel destinations
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
More on Yahoo! News
 
 
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Subscribe to our news feeds
Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS
» More news feeds | What are news feeds?
 
Also on Yahoo
 
Answers
Groups
Mail
Messenger
Mobile
Travel
Finance
Movies
Sports
Games
» All Yahoo! Services
 
Site Highlights
 
Singapore
Full Coverage
Most Popular
Asia Entertainment
Photos
World Cup 2010
 
 
 
 Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Service |
Privacy Policy |
Community |
Intellectual Property Rights Policy |
Help
  
   
 
 
    
   
 
Other News on Thursday,  1 April 2010 World powers to start work on Iran sanctions  
European Cold War defence alliance dissolved: official  
AMD chips away at Intel market share in Q4: iSuppli  
U.S. says weapons from Iran sent to Afghanistan  
CERN tackles glitches, pushes new science frontier  
Granny fined $1,500 for selling goldfish to child  
Internet connects deepest Nepal to 'telemedics'  
Iran negotiator visits China amid sanctions pressure  
Justin Bieber, Adam Lambert Headline Wango Tango Concert  
Small Plane Crash Outside Roanoke Kills Pilot, Seriously Injures Passenger  
Coalition wants US privacy law revamped for Internet Age  
S.Africa builds its case for mega-telescope contract  
World powers to start work on Iran sanctions: envoys
|  
U.S. Transportation Department Proposes Texting Ban For Truck, Bus Drivers  
IBM nurturing nascent technology startups  
Beshir rules out any delay in Sudan vote  
China press club says journalists' email accounts hacked  
Empire State Suicide Jumper Was Yale Student  
Ford, Microsoft align to recharge cars  
Anglo Irish Bank logs biggest loss in Irish corporate history  
Dozens detained at Russia opposition protest
|  
Coalition Of Groups Seeks Overhaul In 1986 Electronic Communications Privacy Law  
Google faces new book-scanning lawsuit in France  
ADP Employment Data Casts Doubt On Jobs Rebound  
Turkish court frees 9 officers in army coup plot
|  
Obama plan expands offshore oil drilling  
Serbia apologises for Srebrenica massacre  
Ohio Serial Killer Receives Death Sentence  
David Cook Talks Trip To Ethiopia, Participation In "Idol Gives Back"  
Zimbabwe's Mugabe names rights, election groups
|  
Negative US job report prompts recovery fears  
Obama Opens American Seas For Domestic Production, Promoting Efficiency  
Obama to announce offshore drilling move  
Hutchison Cites Healthcare, Energy Bill In Decision Not To Retire  
More countries set emission targets for 2020: UN  
Rural tradition eyed after China dead babies find  
One missing after US Navy plane crashes into Arabian Sea  
Google: Online attacks aimed at Vietnam's critics  
Obama to pursue expanded offshore oil drilling  
Racism and discrimination common in Japan: UN envoy  
US private sector sheds 23,000 jobs in March  
Kissinger helps Rio Tinto build bridges with China: report  
N.Korea's Kim likely to visit China soon: Seoul presidency  
Swiss say legal immunity protects Pakistani leader  
US pledges $5 million to Khmer Rouge court  
Korean clubs dominate AFC Champions League  
Cambodian ex-king returns home from China  
Mumbai attack trial ends, verdict expected May 3  
VC fund for iPhone app developers doubles to $200 million
|  
Google: Online attacks aimed at Vietnam's critics  
China mulling proposals to adjust yuan next month: report  
Publishers bet future on iPad they haven't yet seen
|  
Now comes tough part for Bharti: Making Zain purchase pay  
China Web filter rules risky for providers: USTR
|  
Pakistan c.bank sells 19.60 bln rupees of T-bills  
Sony, Toshiba to sell liquid crystal display plants  
AMD chips away at Intel market share in Q4: iSuppli
|  
Prosecutors urge rejection of new Polanski request  
Kapoor tower to dominate London stadium  
Indonesian soldiers beat children over bicycle  
Teen star Justin Bieber tops U.S., Canada charts  
Thrill seekers flout danger to see Icelandic volcano  
Lebanese inmates stitch their way out of prison  
Bruce Lee's daughter thrilled by his legacy  
Hard-hit journalists seek laughs for good cause  
'Nothing like Australia' aims to recapture tourist dollar  
New film has Japan vets confessing to Nanjing rape  
Teen star Justin Bieber tops U.S., Canada charts
|  
The Wire and ER writer David Mills dies
|  
Critics sing the blues over Miley Cyrus movie
|  
Prosecutors urge rejection of new Polanski request
|  
5th Grader returning for Season 2 in syndication
|  
TNT taps Justin Timberlake, Jamie Foxx to hype NBA
|  
China Web filter rules risky for providers-USTR  
Iran envoy in China as sanctions push builds  
Amazon strikes twin electronic book deals: WSJ  
Obama sends Afghan war report to Congress  
Iran envoy in China as sanctions push builds
|  
ElBaradei blasts Mideast policy 'failure'  
Car blast kills two in Russia's Dagestan: agency
|  
Reviews praise iPad battery life, ease of use  
World raises nearly 10 bln dlrs for quake-hit Haiti  
Six powers to start work on Iran sanctions  
Vatican attacks New York Times over abuse coverage
|  
Amazon, publishers strike e-book pricing deal: report  
US extends tanker deadline to allow EADS bid: Pentagon  
Six powers united on Iran sanctions talks  
Some Yahoo email accounts hacked in China, Taiwan  
Justin Bieber Earns First #1 Album On Billboard With "My World 2.0"  
Donors pledge billions for Haiti aid
|  
Turkish court frees 9 officers in army coup plot  
YouTube redesigns website to keep viewers captivated  
Northeast Storms Bring Flooding  
No caning sentence for beer-drinking Malaysia woman
|  
Obama Proposes Opening Huge Parts of U.S. Coasts to Oil Drilling  
VC fund for iPhone app developers doubles to $200 million  
U.S. Markets End March On Down Note As Jobs Data Weighs  
Reviews praise iPad battery life, ease of use  
Vienna Cardinal: Church must accept guilt on abuse
|  
US must broaden Myanmar outreach: study  
Iceland's erupting volcano forms new craters
|  
DC crowd sprayed with bullets had been to funeral  
New England flooding drowns homes and dreams  
Iran top nuclear envoy arrives in China for talks  
U.S. Democrats lie low after healthcare victory  
China ready for Iran UN sanctions talks: US  
Malaysian ruler commutes caning sentence on woman  
US lawyer wants to question pope on child sex cases  
NZ says pursuing slight hope of cutting whale cull  
Pakistan moves closer to renaming volatile region  
Aust. police hunt alleged Balkans war criminal  
Chinese rescuers hopeful some miners still alive  
Weather prevents dive searches for SKorea sailors  
Seoul shares post 10-wk closing high; autos rally  
Japanese start buying affordable electric cars  
Chinese director secretly makes film on 1994 fire  
PAKISTAN  
Counting a billion: India begins new census  
Cracks mar Berlin Holocaust memorial anniversary  
Surveys: China manufacturing accelerated in March  
Special Report: iPad striptease: It's what's inside that counts
|  
S.Korea March data underscores fragile recovery  
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary  
Seoul shares rise on techs, foreign buying  
"Mad Men" shaking up Emmy submissions  
Oil producers, consumers step up cooperation  
Reviews praise iPad battery life, ease of use
|  
"American Idol" road to fame ends for Didi Benami  
Survey: China manufacturing accelerated in March  
Egypt sex selection clinics engender controversy  
"Clash of the Titans" set to win box office battle  
Japan's business confidence grows for fourth quarter  
IMF says NZ dollar overvalued 10-25 pct, kiwi falls  
Paul McCartney thrills L.A. crowd with hits, tales  
Amazon, publishers strike e-book pricing deal: report
|  
Porn accusations shock "Spartacus" producer  
Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn gets "Law & Order" role  
Clash of the Titans set to win box office battle
|  
American Idol road to fame ends for Didi Benami
|  
Mad Men shaking up Emmy submissions
|  
Paul McCartney thrills L.A. crowd with hits, tales
|  
Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn gets Law & Order role
|  
Steve Miller records two albums after 17-year break
|  
Mars radar could help find water in Mideast: NASA  
Medvedev makes surprise visit to Dagestan  
US-TECH Summary  
New blast in Russia as Moscow victims buried  
U.S. envoy in crisis talks after Sudan election pullout  
Russia's Medvedev visits North Caucasus after bombings
|  
U.S. envoy in crisis talks after Sudan vote pullout
|  
Srebrenica survivors lose challenge to UN immunity  
Sherpa to carry Hillary's ashes to Everest summit  
US extends tanker plane deadline to allow EADS bid  
Fourteen killed in India Kashmir clashes
|  
IM GAY Advocate Found Dead Two Days After Filing Police Brutality Complaint  
Casino Offers "Winner" Breakfast Instead Of $42 Million  
Human Remains May Be That Of Missing South Florida Family  
Nigeria charges 20 with terrorism in Jos attacks
|  
Sri Lanka's president urges Tamil voters to trust him
|  
Poll: Alabama Rep. Artur Davis Leads Democrats In Governor Race  
Oklahoma Authorities ID Bodies As Kidnapper, Victim  
Police Seek Fourth Suspect In D.C. Shootings  
US envoy in Khartoum talks to rescue Sudan vote  
Indonesian graft busters hail official's detention  
Comedian And Director Victor Varnado Discusses New Comedy Special Awkward Comedy Show  
Africa must promote investment to develop: Blair
|  
Pro-Life Activist Convicted Of Killing Abortion Doctor To Be Sentenced  
India begins world's biggest head count  
Militia suspect denies he was involved in any plot  
Man Accidentally Shoots Himself In The Leg With Bedside Gun  
Philippines' Estrada fighting to finish business  
Melissa Joan Hart, Nikki Blonsky Among Stars To Appear In New ABC Family Shows  
Turkish ambassador to return to US soon: diplomat  
Workaholic ICC prosecutor hunts war criminals
|  
Iran nuclear crisis needs 'peaceful' answer: Beijing  
Six killed in Thailand's insurgency-plagued south
|  
Malaysia beer-drinking model 'escapes caning'  
Robin Williams' 'rednecks' jibe angers Aussie PM  
Astronauts get go ahead for Good Friday launch  
India launches what it calls world's biggest census  
Pakistani troops kill 28 militants in northwest  
Japan to indict activist who boarded whaling ship  
China's SAIC Motor 2009 net profit jumps over 900%  
EU probes complaint over Indian steel subsidies  
China's BAIC wants to invest in Saab: report  
China's Sina says reassessing Google partnership  
Pakistan stocks at 19-month high on foreign interest  
Nokia says wins China deals worth over $2 billion
|  
Indian car sales show strong annual growth  
Toyota Japan sales booming despite global recalls  
Just a Minute: Miley Cyrus on "Last Song", first love  
Work starts on hydropower project in Cambodia  
UK band Libertines reforms ahead of festival gig  
Toyota brand sales up 50.7% in Japan on-year in March  
Doherty's ex-band Libertines reforms for UK gigs  
Job exposure to chemicals 'boosts breast cancer risk'  
Video of smoking, swearing child shocks Indonesia  
Just a Minute: Miley Cyrus on Last Song, first love
|  
Musician remixes anti-war hit 19 for Afghanistan
|  
UK band Libertines reforms ahead of festival gig
|  
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro  
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found  
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever  
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production  
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time  
AMD to Start Production of piledriver  
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs  
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia  
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air  
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch  
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent  
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up  
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform  
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis  
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets  
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights