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Aviation History
2004
2004-04 - 0018.PDF
DEFENCE CONTRACT CRAIG HOYLE / LONDON EADS team wins RAF tanker deal Exact composition of fleet still to be determined as Ministry of Defence concedes "important issues" need resolving AIRBUS A330-200 TANKER EM6HT Hose and drogue and receiver aircraft clear from wing tip vortex No extra wing strengthening Large clearance gap The final piece of the UK's air trans port and inflight refuelling puzzle has emerged at last, with the Ministry of Defence opting for the Airbus A330-200 as its Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA). To enter service in January 2008, the £13 billion ($23.8 billion) FSTA capability will form part of a future Royal Air Force fleet of around 75 tankers and transports. This will also comprise 25 Airbus Military A400Ms, 25 Lockheed Martin C-130Js and an expanded number of Boeing C-17 strategic transports. The exact composition of the FSTA fleet will be determined over the coming months, following the MoD's tentative selection of the EADS-led AirTanker consortium on 26 January. While excluding a rival bid to deliver ex-British Airways Boeing 767-300ERs, the MoD's announce ment fell surprisingly short of a for mal contract decision. AirTanker was judged "the consortium most likely to offer a value for money private finance initiative [PFI] solu tion", but the MoD concedes that "a number of important issues remain to be resolved" before the project can progress. Comprising Cobham, EADS, Rolls-Royce and Thales, the team will deliver a yet-to-be determined mix of around 16 new-build and secondhand A330-200s to replace the RAF's 28 Vickers VC10 and Lockheed TriStar tanker/transports. Under current plans, the con tractor-owned aircraft will be sup plied under a 27-year PFI deal, with spare capacity to be made available for third-party use. However, the project could yet revert to a tradi tional acquisition, according to industry sources. Discussions between the MoD and AirTanker are planned to con clude in time to enable a main gate decision to take place in April. Thales officials suggest the UK selection could provide synergies with a longer-term requirement to replace the French air force's Boeing C/KC-135 tankers. France and the UK are already studying possible co-operation on their respective aircraft carrier projects. IN-FLIGHT REFUELLING PETER LA FRANCHI /CANBERRA Decision could boost A330 bid in Australia AirTanker's win in the UK's Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft contest is expected to bolster the prospects for the Airbus A330-200 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) in Australia's Project Air 5402 in-flight refuelling competition. EADS Casa is leading the Australian bid, with in-country support from EADS/Qantas Defence Services subsid iary Australian Aerospace. Boeing is offering new-build 767-200s. The Australian Defence Materiel Organisation's Air 5402 project office aims to complete tender evaluations by the end of this month. A source selection recommenda tion will go to government for approval in late March. According to Aldo Borgu, an analyst with the Australian Defence Strategic Policy Institute, "prior to the Royal Air Force decision, Boeing would have been seen to have the inside running, because of the close relationship between Australia and the US Air Force. The Airbus decision opens that up a lot wider." The A330's greater lift capacity could also provide a higher-end strategic deployment capability, he says, although there is "inconsistent position coming out of government" on Australia's overall requirements. Australia wants to finalise contracts with a bidder by June, with an initial operational capability to be in place by mid-2007. EADS Casa has offered to supply the Royal Australian Air Force with five A330 MRTTs and an initial three years of maintenance support for less than the A$1.7 billion ($1.3 billion) currently allocated by the government. INVESTIGATION STEPHEN TRIMBLE / WASHINGTON DC Boeing back in spotlight after losing UK order Boeing's 767 tanker programme is bracing for fresh scrutiny from US lawmakers, following its exclusion from the UK's Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft contest. A report by the US Department of Defense Inspector General will be released shortly, sources say. The report probes possible links between contract negotiations on the US Air Force's future KC-767 tanker and Boeing's admitted improper hiring of Darleen Druyun, the USAF's for mer acquisition chief, in 2002. Exposed late last year, the ethics scandal forced the resignation of Boeing chief executive Phil Condit, the firings of Druyun and chief financial officer Michael Sears and the suspension of an approved US Air Force contract to lease 20 767 tankers and buy 80 more. The Senate Armed Services Com mittee plans to hold two hearings in early February, while Senator John McCain may schedule a third with the Commerce, Science and Trans portation Committee. They are ex pected to focus on industry hiring practices and most observers believe Boeing's $17 billion contract is unlikely to be overturned. For McCain, who has berated the air force for choosing Boeing's plat form in early 2002 without con ducting a full analysis of alterna tives, the UK's rebuff of Boeing's bid could provide fresh ammunition. EADS North America is position ing the A330 tanker as a candidate for future USAF orders. The 100-air- craft lease/ buy plan will be followed by new orders as the USAF retires its more than 500 Boeing KC-135s. 16 3-9 FEBRUARY 2004 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
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