Boeing shares details of tanker proposal

Boeing released more details of its potential proposal in the competition to replace the U.S. Air Force’s aging tanker refueling fleet.

Boeing said Monday it is prepared to offer a tanker based on its commercial 767, as it did in an earlier competition, or its larger 777.

“Boeing is ready to deliver maximum capability at the lowest cost,” Boeing KC-X director and program manager Rick Lemaster said in a statement.

Boeing conducted a briefing at the Air Force Association’s 2009 Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition outside Washington.

Boeing and Northrop Grumman are in competition for a $35 billion deal for 179 aerial refueling tankers. The Pentagon is working on a draft request for proposal for the competition but has not set a date for its release.