Tanker bids due Friday

Boeing and EADS are expected to submit bids Friday for the $40 billion contract to build tankers for the Air Force. Latecomer US Aerospace and partner Antonov also plan to bid. It's the third contest to build the planes. Boeing was awarded a contract in 2003, but that was scuttled by a scandal. EADS and its then-partner Northrop Grumman won in February 2008, but that was killed by a Boeing protest upheld by the Government Accountability Office. Northrop dropped out of this round, saying the request for proposals favors the smaller tanker offered by Boeing. EADS wants to assemble the tankers in Mobile, Ala., and Boeing wants to build them in Washington State. (Source: Tcp, 07/07/10) Detailed stories: The Hill, Defense News, AFP.