As if the KC-X competition wasn't already weird enough, did you hear the chief of the French Air Force now says the Boeing KC-767 could be his next aerial refueller?
Read the full article on flightglobal.com here, but here's how it starts:
France hopes to proceed to the next stage of an evaluation process involving the Airbus A330-based KC-30 and Boeing KC-767 tankers "as soon as possible", and is closely following the UK's protracted private finance initiative deal with the EADS-led AirTanker consortium as a possible procurement model, says air force chief of staff Gen Stéphane Abrial.
You can read the FAF's dossier about the multi-role tanker transport requirement here. (Warning: the dossier is written in French.)
So let me get this straight: While the US and France duke it out at the WTO this summer over alleged subsidies to Airbus and Boeing, their respective air forces will be simultaneosuly considering the allegedly offending manufacturer's products for a tanker contract worth billions of dollars!!!
The creeping militarization of the Airbus-Boeing rivalry is now in full force.
From Air Force One to the tanker wars to strategic airlift, the US and French governments find themselves in the same position as the world's major airliners: seeking to wrangle the best deal by playing one member of the duopoly against the other. It remains to be seen, however, if either governments can overcome political interests to drive the best economic deal for their taxpayers.
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