USAF Tanker Wars (again) |

Yesterday, Reuters reported Lockheed Martin withdrew from the U.S. Air Force's tanker competition. Airbus teamed with Lockheed as the prime contractor in 2018, offering an A330 MRTT. Airbus said it will pursue the competition without Lockheed, We have not covered this segment for some time. The market sense is Lockheed Martin's decision boosts Boeing's chances to win more KC-46 orders. Reuters notes: "The KC-46, however, has been plagued by defects, including problems with an on-board video system and a refueling boom that fails to connect the tanker to aircraft seeking refueling. These errors have cost Boeing $7 billion in losses. Vertical Research notes, "..the USAF recently dropping massive hints that it didn’t want to run a competition for the next batch of aerial refueling tankers." They go on to say: "But the Air Force has been cooling on the idea of buying another aircraft that is similar to the current Boeing KC-46, and has been looking at developing an all new tanker called Next Generation Air-refueling System (NGAS) instead. Lockheed is now shifting its focus to NGAS, leaving Airbus stranded even though it has spent a fortune lobbying in DC for its tanker bid." Airbus offered the following: “Airbus remains committed to providing the U.S. Air Force and our warfighters with the most modern and capable tanker on the market and will formally respond to the United States Air Force KC-135 recapitalization RFI”, adding its A330 is “a reliable choice for the U.S. Air Force: one that will deliver affordability, proven performance and unmatched capabilities.” With or without a USAF contract, the Airbus complex at Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley continues to grow. The company is building a third final assembly line. Airbus is already a US defense contractor supplying over 480 UH72B Lakota helicopters to the US Army. The current competition is for what has been called a KC-Y tanker. The USAF had spoken of a need for 160 and then reduced that to 75. This seems a logical reason for Lockheed Martin to withdraw. [caption id="attachment_78420" align="aligncenter" width="580"] © Airbus[/caption] As to Airbus staying in the race, this is interesting. The A330 MRTT has an exemplary record. Fifteen customers around the world have ordered 79 of these tankers. These customers include long-standing Boeing customers like the French Armee De L'Air. The MRTT has even refueled the F-35, as we see in. The MRTT has performed automatic refueling on the F-15. The MRTT is, therefore, state-of-the-art. Which is to say, every bit as capable as the KC-46. While the Pentagon has to consider many factors in its selection, the present global situation reinforces the critical need for airborne tanker capacity. It's not only how much tanker capacity is needed but also how quickly. While Boeing has a line producing the KC-46 and delivering these under previous contracts, Airbus could add a line in Mobile for the MRTT. The advantage of an MRTT production line capacity buys the Pentagon significant risk reduction. This is probably why Airbus feels the risk of chasing the contract is worth it without a US partner. They offer a tanker that has a good track record with few hiccups. The KC-46 has a bumpy record. What does the Pentagon's risk appetite look like?

US Flight Planner - US DoT On-Time Data	Airbus vs Boeing - Official OEM Data
US Airline Schedule Performance - US DoT Data	Daily OEM Production & Deliveries -

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