EADS seeks 3 months to bid on tanker

EADS is seeking three more months to prepare a bid for the multibillion-dollar refueling tanker, the Defense Department said today. "We're considering that request," Bryan Whitman, a department spokesman, told reporters. The current deadline is May 10. EADS said it could rejoin the competition if it decides there's a chance to win. EADS' North American, which partnered with Northrop Grumman until that company opted out last week, may wind up as prime contractor. EADS North America is a prime contractor for the Mississippi-built UH-72A Lakota light utility helicopters. (Source: Reuters, 03/19/10)