US Air Force secretary offers encouragement for European manufacturer and "deserving" BAE Systems
US Air Force secretary James Roche says that the Airbus A330-200 is welcome to take part in a potential competition for the KC-X tanker programme next year, while he also notes that UK-based BAE Systems "deserves" a share of the lucrative sustainment work on the Lockheed Martin-led F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).
A $90 million investment by Airbus to develop and qualify a refuelling boom, scheduled to enter flight testing later this year, "should make them a legitimate competitor", said Roche, speaking on a visit to London coinciding with Farnborough International. The lack of an operational boom system and the larger ramp footprint of the A330-200 were the primary reasons the air force cited two years for disqualifying the Airbus bid.
Instead, the USAF pursued an ill-fated attempt to lease commercially 100 Boeing 767-200 tankers. Opposition from key US lawmakers forced the service to modify the terms last year, allowing the USAF to lease only the first 20 aircraft and purchase the remaining 80 tankers. That agreement, however, was annulled by the US Department of Defense after Boeing revealed two executives linked to the deal had acted improperly.
The air force's refuelling requirement is now the subject of multiple reviews. Defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld is waiting to receive a report in November before he makes a decision, but interest appears to have shifted to a regular procurement competition starting in 2005.
By that time, "Airbus will have had experience with the boom technology", says Roche, making it eligible to participate in a competition. The air force has an immediate requirement to replace about 130 KC-135Es, but eventually must turn over a total of 535 ageing refuellers.
Meanwhile, last month Roche reassumed budgetary authority for the JSF programme, a post that transfers between the air force and navy about every two years. The US-led, 11-nation development team plans soon to begin negotiations on industrial participation during the production and sustainment phases.
Aside from potentially lucrative production deals, several nations, including Australia and the UK, are prodding the USA to outsource logistics and repair centres to other nations, but questions remain about how much of the stealth fighter's core technology the USA is willing to transfer overseas.
"My sense is that this is a workable problem," says Roche, who adds that the first step is for the programme to develop a logistics and sustainment strategy. That plan will determine if maintenance depots require an overseas presence.
"In principle," he says, "we can discuss providing the [depot] capability, but have a US partner for certain things...or the US portion of BAE Systems." Roche says commercial depot work now requires sending most repairs to the original equipment manufacturer.
Roche also singled out BAE Systems for a future role as a depot service provider, noting its large investment in the development programme.
"If BAE invests a certain portion during the development phase, then BAE deserves some of the industrial returns," he says.
Source: Flight International
