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

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.

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 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

References:

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