Leeham News and Analysis
There's more to real news than a news release.
Leeham News and Analysis
- RTX Q1 2025 Earnings: GTF Talk Takes A Back Seat To Tariffs April 22, 2025
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- Boeing reports mixed results of latest employee survey, but middle management and officers remain key obstacles April 22, 2025
- Hopes for 1Q financial progress turns into bumpy ride for Boeing April 21, 2025
- Bjorn’s Corner: Air Transport’s route to 2050. Part 18. April 18, 2025
Boeing selects KC-767 for Tanker
Boeing, as expected, announced that it will offer the KC-767 to the US Air Force for the KC-X aerial refueling tanker competition. The press release is below the jump. There are a couple of very specific references in… Read More
Northrop may decide on KC-X this week or next
Northrop Grumman may decide this week or next what it will do about the bid for the USAF KC-X Final Request for Proposal, Leeham.net understands. Northrop has said frequently and clearly that it may not bid because it… Read More
Murtha death bad news for Northrop tanker bid
The death today of US Rep. John Murtha (D-PA), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, means US Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Boeing/WA) will likely succeed him, and this is bad news for Northrop Grumman and its bid for the… Read More
Tanker Contract: Follow the law
Update, Feb. 1: The newspaper The Hill, which covers Capitol Hill, reports the USAF plans to award a contract for the KC-X this summer, sticking (more or less) to the timetable originally projected. Secretary Robert Gates also plans… Read More
Northrop says no bid on tanker unless…
Update, December 2, 3:00 pm: DOD Buzz reports that Rep. John Murtha, a powerful House member, says there has to be competition for the KC-X and doesn’t rule out Congress stepping in. This is something we forgot to… Read More
KC-767 to benefit from 787 “surge” line
Key points: The ability to increase production rates to sell more 767s in the coming years; Lower production costs, which will be built into the KC-X bid in the hot competition with the expected Northrop Grumman KC-30 submission…. Read More
Tanker DRFP may violate law: former procurement official
Inside Defense, a subscription-only publication, today reported that a former defense procurement official believes the current KC-X tanker Draft RFP may violate the law. Here is what Inside Defense sent out in the public domain: Former Top Procurement… Read More
In other news: Northrop hints at exiting KC-X competition
We were waiting for this: see this story.
KC-X tanker DRFP released
Update, September 28: DOD Buzz reports Boeing is going to offer two bids, one each for the KC-767 and KC-777. Here is the link. We think this is a brilliant move. Original Post: Here is the link to… Read More
Refueling Dr. Strangelove
The Draft Request for Proposal for Round 3 of the KC-X tanker competition isn’t even out yet and the procurement process is already perverted. The DRFP is thought to be ready for release tomorrow (September 24). The USAF… Read More