A US federal court has agreed to block the Department of Defense effort to collect $2.3 billion from Boeing and General Dynamics - the latest twist in the 11-year battle over the cancelled A-12 project (Flight International, 10-16 December). The Court of Federal Claims ruled in September that the collection could go ahead, but Boeing and General Dynamics appealed.
Last week's decision grants the companies a few weeks' grace until their appeal comes to court on 9 January next year. The Pentagon is trying to recover $1.3 billion, plus $1 billion interest, paid to the companies in the 1980s to develop a carrier-borne stealth attack aircraft. The programme was overdue and overbudget, and was terminated before first flight.
Source: Flight International
