Number
071599
Version
ORIGINAL
Reference
Sponsor
ALD. ZIELINSKI
Title
Resolution requesting the U.S. Congress to block the U.S. Air Force’s award of a contract to Northrop Grumman and European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company to replace aerial refueling tankers.
Analysis
This resolution requests the U.S. Congress to block the U.S. Air Force’s award of a contract to Northrop Grumman and European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company to replace aerial refueling tankers. It also calls upon the National League of Cities and the Wisconsin League of Municipalities to take formal action in support of awarding defense contracts to American companies on the grounds of national security and the preservation of America’s industrial base.
Body
Whereas, The U.S. Air Force awarded a contract to Northrop Grumman/ European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS) to replace aerial refueling tankers; and
Whereas, The contract awarded ignores the fact that Boeing and Northrop Grumman/ EADS were assigned identical ratings across all 5 evaluation factors and that Boeing had the better offering in terms of most probable life cycle costs, lower risk and better capacity; and
Whereas, Flaws in the procurement process resulted in a significant gap between the aircraft the Air Force originally set out to procure - a medium-size tanker, as stated in the request for proposal - and the much larger tanker it ultimately selected; and
Whereas, Because of the way the Air Force treated Boeing’s cost/price data, the company was effectively denied its right to compete with a commercial derivative product, contrary to the RFP and federal statute and regulation; and
Whereas, In evaluating past performance, the Air Force ignored the fact that Boeing - with 75 years of success in producing tankers - is the only company in the world that has produced a commercial derivative tanker equipped with an operational aerial-refueling boom; and
Whereas, It is in the best interest of the U...
Click here for full text