PETER LA FRANCHI / CANBERRA
US manufacturer tables Australian-specific variant as well as KC767 in effort to defeat EADS Airbus A330-based bid
Boeing will offer the Royal Australian Air Force two Boeing 767 tanker configurations in the contest for Australia's Project Air 5402 in-flight refuelling programme.
The US company is competing for the RAAF requirement, which is for up to five tankers, against EADS, which is offering Airbus A330 tankers. Tenders closed on 9 October and source selection is due in the first quarter of 2004. The RAAF wants to take delivery of its first aircraft by July 2007.
Boeing vice-president for tanker programmes Bob Gower says one of the two options is "fully compliant with all the essential [Australian tender] requirements". Its second offer is for an aircraft configured similarly to the KC767 tankers supplied to the US Air Force.
The Australian-specific variant is based on new-build 767-200Cs with -400ER digital cockpits. The variant would also include the replacement of 90KVa aircraft generators with 120KVa units to allow the option for "smart tanker" communications payloads.
The tanker would be fitted with lower lobe cargo containers and wing refuelling pods as well as a centreline boom with options on centreline probe and drogue, and an onboard mission planning console.
Boeing has offered the RAAF the same electronic warfare self-protection suite that it is fitting to its 737IGA Project Wedgetail AEW&C offer. If successful, the US company says BAE Systems Australia would support integration of the suite.
According to Gower, Boeing would carry the cost of all support inventories in Australia as a member of the regional support centre, rather than requiring spare parts to be acquired in advance by the RAAF.
The US company is also offering to establish a regional support centre in Australia for USAF and RAAF tankers to support future Boeing tanker customers in the Asia-Pacific region.
Boeing and Airbus are believed to be closely matched on aircraft price. A senior industry official associated with the Airbus bid has told Flight International that the team has "heavily" cut its price to reduce the impact of Australia's pro-US acquisition practices.
Source: Flight International
