U.S. Secretary of Defense Remarks "The KC-767 Tankers are What We Need Today" : World Best Global Choice Boeing KC-767

U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
Says about the KC-767 Tanker:
"The kind of capabilities we will most likely need in the years ahead will often resemble the kinds of capabilities we need today."

Boeing KC-767 Tanker: Capability Where it Counts

ST. LOUIS, May 22, 2008-- With advantages identified by the U.S. Air Force in the areas of mission capability, survivability, aerial refueling technology, operational utility and ability to respond to real-world mission scenarios, the Boeing [NYSE: BA] KC-767 is the best tanker for the future conflicts anticipated by the U.S. Defense Department.

"U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates recently stated that the wars of the future will resemble the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Mark McGraw, vice president, Boeing Tanker Programs. "Therefore it follows that the KC-767 tanker is the ideal plane for future conflicts. It has the ability to operate out of smaller forward airfields to efficiently and effectively serve our warfighters, take advantage of existing infrastructure close to expected hot spots and do it all with a more capable, lower-cost, lower-risk, more survivable tanker."

Secretary Gates said in a speech earlier this month that, "the kind of capabilities we will most likely need in the years ahead will often resemble the kinds of capabilities we need today." He added that, "any major weapons program, in order to remain viable, will have to show some utility and relevance to the kind of irregular campaigns that...are most likely to engage America's military in the coming decades."

A costlier, riskier tanker put forth by the team of Northrop Grumman and the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) was chosen by the Air Force Feb. 29 as the replacement for the aging fleet of medium-sized KC-135s that met U.S. military requirements through the Cold War, Vietnam and Desert Storm. The same aircraft are providing aerial refueling to American and allied forces today in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The Air Force Request for Proposals seemed to call for a medium-sized tanker designed to meet the unique needs of today's expeditionary Air Force. During the evaluation of the two offerings, 98 positive discriminators, or strengths, were identified for the KC-767 compared to 30 for the Airbus A330-based plane.

"The Boeing KC-767 offered much more in terms of capability for bringing the right number of right-sized planes and the right amount of fuel to the fight," McGraw said. "The top strengths of the KC-767 drive home the superiority of the Boeing plane for this mission."

According to the KC-X evaluation, top discriminators in the areas of capability, aerial refueling technology, real-world operations, survivability, operational utility and secondary mission capability include:

The ability to refuel multiple types of aircraft, including the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft .

Ability to isolate, transport and off-load multiple fuel types.

Less fuel burned, less foreign bases required and less sensitive to geo-political base denials in operational scenarios

Fuel tank and ballistic threat protection .
Aerial refueling operator station .

Ability to carry higher weight cargo on the main deck .

Ability to carry hazardous material on the main deck .

Aeromedical crew displays and the ability to generate therapeutic patient oxygen .

Advanced communication and navigation capabilities and future growth potential.

Source: Boeing News.

There are no double about the KC-767 Tankers are the most what we need for today's world. I concure with U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and appreciate his remarks. We the communities and Tax Payers requesitng to the congress and President George Bush move the motion on this for KC-767 Tanker for warfighters.

Catch4all.com, Sandra Englund May 23rd, 2008.

Sa

On March 11, 2008 Boeing filed a formal Protest regarding the selection by the U.S. Air Force of the Northrop Grumman/European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company KC-30 Over the Boeing KC-767 for its KC-X medium-sized tanker program. The decision to protest was not one made lightly. However, what became clear in the debriefings following the selection was that the KC-X acquisition process was flawed. Repeatedly, fundamental but often unstated changes were made to the bid requirements and evaluation criteria. These arbitrary changes not only unfairly skewed the results against Boeing: they penalized the warfighter and the taxpayer by selecting an airplane that did not satisfy the Air Force's own bid requirements.

Let's look at the facts

SIZE REQUIREMENT. The KC-X Request for Proposal (RFP) sought to replace aging KC-135s, a medium-sized tanker. A future program, KC-z, would aim to replace larger KC-10 tanker. In fact, during the KC-X acquisition process, Boeing was led to believe that its 767 was the appropriate platform to offer, since it appeared to answer precisely the Air Force's requirements. Yet the KC-30 is much larger than the KC-767 and even 27% Larger than the KC-10. This excess capacity sacrifices fundamental Air Force requirements of deploy ability and survivability. It doesn't add up.

MISSION CAPABILITY. In analyzing Mission Capability, the most important evaluation factor. Boeing received the highest possible rating, meeting or exceeding all key A Performance Parameters. Among other measurements, the Air Force identified positive "discriminators" as well as "weaknesses" While the KC-30 had 30 discriminators and five weaknesses, among them its aerial refueling boom, the KC-767 had 98 discriminators and only one weakness. It doesn't add up.

RISK. In assessing Risk, Boeing and its competitor received equal scores. And yet Boeing is an integrated company with one management team and 75 years of tanker-building experience. Furthermore, the KC-767 will be built on an existing production line that has made 767s for years.

By contrast the KC-30 will be built by a combination of a U.S. company and a European one, with two management teams on two continents, with no experience building tankers together - utilizing numerous production facilities across Europe and in an American plant that doesn't yet exist. It doesn't add up.

COST. The RFP made clear that the Most Probable Life Cycle Cost (MPLCC) was the key Cost/Price metric for source selection. The MPLCC not only includes the cost of acquisition: It includes the cost of operation and maintenance. In its evaluation the Air Force discounted the weight of the MPLCC and inflated Boeing's costs by billions of dollars, even though Boeing's proposed cost data was in full compliance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation. As a result, the Air Force and taxpayers will pay billions more for the Northrop Grumman/EADS airplane. It doesn't add up

PAST PERFORMANCE. Past Performance was rated "Satisfactory Confidence" for both Boeing and Northrop Grumman/EADS, despite the enormous disparity of experience between the two in building tankers and military derivatives of commercial aircraft Older and outdated Contractor Performance Assessment Ratings were used for Boeing while KC-X evaluators ignored or failed to adequately account for numerous troubled programs from its competitor (some examples include the Australian tanker, the A400M Airlifter, and E-2D SDD). Additionally, Boeing has certified and delivered to Japan two of the most advanced tanker aircraft in existence, a critical achievement that received insignificant credit. It doesn't add up.

The bottom line is that the selection process for the KC-X was flawed by countless irregularities. In the evaluation, selection criteria were misapplied, the RFP was disregarded and the requirements of the Federal Acquisition Regulation were not adhered to-resulting in the selection of a much larger, more vulnerable, less capable and ultimately more costly offering. It's a decision that doesn't add up: not for the warfighter or the taxpayer. And one that should not stand .

References:

THE CONGRESS TO BE APPROVED
KC-X FOR THE BUDGET ACCORDING
to THE TAX PAYERS REQUEST, AND AIR FORCE

The primary mission of the KC-X aircraft will be to provide world-wide, day/night, adverse weather aerial refueling on the same sortie to receiver capable United States (US), allied, and coalition military aircraft (including unoccupied aircraft). The KC-X will provide robust sustained aerial refueling capability to support global attack, air-bridge, deployment, sustainment, employment redeployment, homeland defense, theater support to joint, allied, and coalition air forces, and specialized national defense missions. The inherent flexibility of the KC-X platform will accommodate a diversity of secondary missions in a manner that will not significantly impact the primary aerial refueling missions. These include airlift, communication gateway, and aero medical evacuation. The KC-X program acquisition strategy is focused on an existing commercial, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), or equivalent, certified transport aircraft modified to meet USAF requirements.(1)

Figure 1 - Air force choice option: KC-767 or KC-777

It is Obious that The DOD had comparison for this A330 To KC-777
Click to See the link address

Air force had choice for KC-767 / 777, Did Air force was going to
major the KC-777? This Drawing was showing
that they had option to choose between KC-767 or KC-777

The Infra structure is there Everett, WA + all over the State, and around the world,
the Boeing's World Best Technical employers, supporters have designed, built, tested
and flown and delivered 767s 1000.

Using existing facility will make sense to the Air force and Tax payers
Suppliers, Partners are ready to Build:
44, 000 + around the
world Suppliers, Partners.
Don't forget The Boeing has the employees 150,000 +
Think KC-X eliminating from the Boeing means
Ripple global recession + USA recession
You won't see the current but see the Future what will happen.
Do not create the current recession + worse
Protect Global balance + current employees where they are now
+ small business around the world

The Air Force plan to replace its elderly KC-135 tanker fleet comprises three increments: KC-X, followed by Y and Z, with each representing about one-third of the overall buy of some 479 aircraft. The service expects to make a contract award announcement for the KC-X portion, giving the total contract for 179 tankers to either Boeing or the Northrop Grumman-EADS team. The entire replacement program would extend to 2051 at the expected rate of purchase of only up to 18 aircraft per year.

John A. Tirpak described that the ABCs of Tanker XYZs: The Air Force does plan to buy replacement tankers in three increments which will be the KC-X contract award. This will cover the first increment of 179 tankers, replacing the very oldest KC-135s in the fleet. Lt. Gen. Donald Hoffman, USAF's military acquisition deputy, explained the three-stage approach in a closed door briefing before the House Armed Services AirLand Subcommittee last week. About 2023, the Air Force plans to contract for a second batch of tankers, dubbed KC-Y, and in 2033, it goes for the third or KC-Z batch, ultimately retiring all KC-135s along the way. At no time are tanker purchases expected to exceed $3 billion a year in current dollars; that�s all the Air Force expects to be able to spend (see above). For that money, the service expects to be able to buy between 12 and 18 per year, replacing the entire tanker fleet over 40 years.

There has been speculation that a protest by the loser is inevitable since the stakes in the KC-X program were so high: The winner may eventually have the inside track on building hundreds of more tankers to replace some 500 KC-135s in the fleet. �Once we have reviewed the details behind the award, we will make a decision concerning our possible options, keeping in mind at all times the impact to the warfighter and our nation,� Barksdale said. Hope this reconsider the issues and possible options to take look carefully. (5)

Figure 2 - Eventually the KC-135s will retire along the way by 3 stages
Replacing the entire tanker fleet over 40 years

Boeing has been the main supplier of tankers since World War II. Accordingly, Boeing and suppliers and partners around the world feel it's their birthright to provide the next generation of tankers with the 75 years of experienced.

The Boeing has been built the foundation with the public and suppliers, partners, officers around the world it is already there to build every details that you think of it. Trying to make a new resources to build from someplace is not ready for the emergency cases something that you have never thought about the 9.11 before year 2001.

Security, safety, all other aspects that the Air force already built with the Boeing during the 75 years. That is not easy to build again especially with the conflict of interest unfair EU subsides for more than 35 years which is the EADS that 46 percent stake in another top French defense group, Dassault. 5 percent owned by Russia: in early September, Vneshtorgbank - 99.9 percent owned by the Russian state - purchased 5.02 percent of EADS stakes in 2006.

EADS has in fact a complex management and shareholder architecture. It is a Franco-German giant with significant Spanish and British (in Airbus) participation. (9)

The subsidies in question include those relating to the entire family of Airbus products (A300 through the A380) (3) .

According to the request for consultations from the United States, measures by the EC and the member States provide subsidies that are inconsistent with their obligations under the SCM Agreement and GATT 1994. The measures include: the provision of financing for design and development to Airbus companies (�launch aid�); the provision of grants and government-provided goods and services to develop, expand, and upgrade Airbus manufacturing sites for the development and production of the Airbus A380; the provision of loans on preferential terms; the assumption and forgiveness of debt resulting from launch and other large civil aircraft production and development financing; the provision of equity infusions and grants; the provision of research and development loans and grants in support of large civil aircraft development, directly for the benefit of Airbus, and any other measures involving a financial contribution to the Airbus companies. The subsidies in question include those relating to the entire family of Airbus products (A300 through the A380)(10)

Figure 3 - EC and Certain member States - Large Civil Aircraft

The issue has acquired new urgency in recent years as Airbus sought and received substantial new subsidies (so-called "launch aid") for the Airbus A380 super jumbo aircraft and commitments of further launch aid subsidies for its new A350 passenger aircraft. This is well known by the world and the record shows that when Airbus is delivering more aircraft than its U.S. rival, the Boeing Company at that time. The United States believes that there is no justification for continued subsidies to Airbus.

The Boeing has major played a significant role in our nations security since 75 years ago and The Boeing's Tanker KC-767 / KC-777 has already flexibility for the war fighters and fuel tankers it has already extensive capability than what you can think of it for the global. It is only you can see from the Boeing Company what other can not see the details as for the security and safety purpose possessed multi purpose of war fighter (If you need more detailed info contact: Boeing Company).

Figure 5 - KC -135 Fuel Tankers usage metrics

The Boeing KC135 fleet started since 1950. was able to affectively using for the Vietnam War during the 1960 and 1970s by flying.

Cold War 1960 and 1970

Refuel acquired B-52 nuclear bombers operated by Strategic air Command.

194,687 sorties

Average 21,00 sorities each year sorties

Almost 9 billion pounds of jet fuel

1991 Persian Gulf

Fuel Tankers contributed to two objectives

100 Fuel Tankers

Tankers allowed Defense and command and control aircraft to remain aloft for exdtended periods of time while extending the range of most attack mission

306 tankers flew 16,865 missions while delivering over 800 million pounds of fuel to 51,696 receiver aircraft.

NATO COMMBAT

1999, 5,215 SORTIES (transferring more than 253 million pounds of fuel to 23,095 coalition receivers)

9.11, 2001 to 2007

F lew 10,400 missions enabling homeland defense air patrols

Homeland Defense Air Patrols Part of Operational Noble Eagle	1999	2001 to 2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Operations	NATO	Afghanistan	Operation Iraqi Freedom	Operations Iraqi and Afghanistan	Operations Iraqi and Afghanistan	Operations Iraqi and Afghanistan	Operations Iraqi and Afghanistan
TANKERS	175	80	185
Sorties	5,215	15,468	6,193	12,465	12,391	12,787	15,875
Fuel Offloaded (lbs).	253 million pounds	1.166 billion (lbs)	376 million (lbs)	740 million	778 million	871 million	946 million
Receivers Refueled	23,095		28,899			42,083	79,798
Aircrafts		50,585

Source: US Central Air Forces / Combined Air Operations Center Public Affairs Office

The Washington state delegation, International Union's Indorsement, Officials, Communities are united and stand together (Click to see the links)

The Washington state delegation naturally rallied around Boeing. The company's commercial airplanes are built in the Seattle suburbs and the KC-767 or KC-777 will be built there. Rep. Norman Dicks and senior Sen. Patty Murray, both Washington state have been particularly vocal for Boeing; Murray has made the "illegal" subsidies to Airbus a signature political issue.

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, stated that The U.S. Air Force has critical needs we cannot afford to ignore. The Air Force has made clear we cannot risk systemic failures by not moving ahead with new Boeing tankers." (6).

RFP also incorporated changes that include addressing the WTO litigation. (8)

Tanker Contract Will Help Ensure a Healthy Aerospace Industry:

Senator Patty Murray wants to make sure that the aerospace industry stays strong and competitive and continues to . The Washington State is already supporting the 100 percent + around the state include $150,000 + employees, suppliers and partners around the world.

February, 17, 2008, Airforcetimes.com: Tuesday Feb 13, 2007, by By John T. Bennett - Staff writer: The Air Force's requirements for the new fleet of tankers indicate the service wants a plane that sometimes can also carry passengers and cargo - or a mix of both. Northrop officials have said they chose the larger A330 because of a determination that the service planned to use the KC-Xs as airlifters more often than its existing tankers.

"The challenge" for an air planner "is to have enough tankers at the right place at the right time," said Sams, a retired Air Force lieutenant general who last commanded the 15th Air Force..

The Boeing has met more than exceed all the requirements what they are asking from the Air force requirements the KC-767 and the KC-777 both has the strategic tanker mission using a fuselage mounted "flying boom" and multi-point hose/drogue systems. As a strategic airlifter, the concept can deliver over-sized military equipment into bare bases while providing performance comparable to modern commercial airliners. The modular medium transport concept uses major structural and system components from the KC-767 or 777 reduce life cycle cost. The medium transport is designed to deliver over-sized military cargo into bare bases while providing flight performance comparable to commercial transports. The concept is fully airdrop capable and can operate from short, soft soil fields at reduced take-off weights.

Back in 2004, the senate already indicated that KC-767 aircraft to modernize the Air Force's aerial refueling capability is the deleterious effect of corrosion on the material condition of the current KC-135 fleet of aerial refueling aircraft.

Section 133 of H.R. 4200 Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 as cleared by the Congress on October 9, 2004 would modify the authority provided in current law which allows the Air Force to acquire 100 KC-767 tankers through a hybrid acquisition strategy to "lease" no more than 20 tanker aircraft and purchase as many as 80 additional aircraft under multiyear procurement authority.

The Tanker request purpose was based on the KC-135 modifications. On 25 April 2006 the Air Force has issued a Request for Information, or RFI, for its tanker recapitalization program. The Tanker Systems Modernization Systems Squadron of Aeronautical Systems Center's Mobility Systems Wing here sent out the RFI for publication in Federal Business Opportunities and will manage the program. By issuing the RFI, the Air Force has restarted the requirements and acquisition processes necessary for a traditional competitive acquisition program to replace the KC-135 Stratotanker. The RFI requested information on KC-135 replacement platforms that is consistent with the findings of the Analysis of Alternatives, which focuses on a commercial-derivative tanker aircraft in the 300,000- to 1 million-pound-take-off weight class. The RFI asks for vendor inputs on capabilities to complement the recapitalization effort, such as specialized commercial aerial refueling services and KC-135 modifications and upgrades. So the Boeing has been ready to modification and upgrades.

KC-767 tankers provide increased aircraft availability, more adaptable technology and greater overall capability than the current inventory of KC-135E tankers they will replace. Enhancements to every aspect of aircraft operation will provide the Joint warfighter with more flexible employment options. KC-767 tankers will be able to ensure that the viability of this vital national capability. KC-767 makes the Air Bridge possible and is essential to the success of joint and coalition military operations. KC-767 Tanker have the capability of deployment of joint combat power, and are crucial to rapid response to combat and humanitarian relief operations. You want the bigger size? The KC-777 will be able to handle bigger cargo, bigger humanitarian carriers.

Air Force already indicated that The KC-135E is a good example. It is significantly less capable than the KC-135R with less fuel offload capability and fails to meet world-wide airspace and noise restrictions.

The Air Force should have majored the fairness, full based on open competition, defined an integrated, capability, best value approach, and technologies for the industry best practices which will lead to the fielding of a flexible and versatile platform without being surprise the world. If the Air Force wanted a bigger than the KC-767, The Air Force should have looked at the KC-777 which has far more capability than the A330 and a bigger and giant also have more fuel efficiencies, a bigger cargo capabilities than more you asking for �.. If the Air Force has not seen the KC-777, the Air Force should revisit the KC-777 Manufacture place in Everett, Washington how incredible that would bring the war Fighter Fuel Tanker will be�� This is the fact.

If the RFP stipulated nine primary key performance parameters as the following, The Boeing Company has met above 9 categories besides their 75 years of experience and far more capabilities what Air Force asking for�

1) Air refueling capability (same sortie boom and drogue capable)
2) Fuel offload and range at least as great as the KC-135
3) Compliant CNS/ATM equipment
4) Airlift capability
5) Ability to take on fuel while airborne
6) Sufficient force protection measures
7) Ability to network into the information available in the battle space.

Boeing is the world's leading aerospace company and the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft combined. Additionally, Boeing designs and manufactures rotorcraft, electronic and defense systems, missiles, satellites, launch vehicles and advanced information and communication systems.

Boeing has customers in more than 90 countries around the world and is one of the largest U.S. exporters in terms of sales. Boeing employs more than 160,000 people across the United States and in 70 countries.

The Boeing Company has the most diverse, talented and innovative workforces anywhere around the world. More than 83,800 of our people hold college degrees--including nearly 29,000 advanced degrees--in virtually every business and technical field from approximately 2,800 colleges and universities worldwide. The Boeing Company continues to plant the seeds which is explains the world best leaning together program that expend employees knowledge outside of what's available at Boeing. Under this program, Boeing pays for tuition and many related expenses - including application fees, entrance exams, books, and graduate fees - for employees enrolled in accredited colleges, universities or trade schools. Employees who complete degrees are eligible for Boeing stock awards.

The Boeing's enterprise also leverages the talents of hundreds of thousands more skilled people working for Boeing suppliers worldwide.

Reported by Catch4all.com, Sandra Englund, March 9, 2008

Sources:

1) http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2007/02/AFtankers070212/

2) http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/kc-x.htm

3) http://catch4all.com/positive/2008/Boeing/KC-X/WashingtonSenateLetterToUS_Leaders3_4_08.htm

4) http://catch4all.com/positive/2008/Boeing/KC-X/KC-XmakesSenceWithTheBoeing.htm

5) http://catch4all.com/BadDecisionKC45/TheTaxPayersDoNotWantToPayKC45_
TheUS_EconomicISinRECESSION.htm
)ttp://catch4all.com/positive/2008/EUsubsidies/MustStop/EUsubsidies26.htm

7) http://catch4all.com/positive/2006/EUsubsidies11.htm

8) http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/07/03/29/100bus_tanker001.cfm

9) International Relations and Security Network Management Information, Sharing Knowledge

10) WTO dispute settlement - the diputes DS310.
11) http://www.airforcetimes.com

THE CONGRESS TO BE APPROVED KC-X FOR THE BUDGET ACCORDING to THE TAX PAYERS REQUEST, AND AIR FORCE

THE CONGRESS TO BE APPROVED
KC-X FOR THE BUDGET ACCORDING
to THE TAX PAYERS REQUEST, AND AIR FORCE