Tanker Competition Drop Out

Northrop Grumman and its European partner EADS won the $35 billion Air Force tanker contract in February 2008.

Boeing protested this decision and had the decision overturned.

The Air Force then re-wrote the requirements for the tanker contract.

Northrop Grumman has now dropped out of the tanker competition.

EADS has also dropped out of the tanker competition.

Wes Bush decided that Northrop Grumman did not need to expend resources competing for a tanker contract that had its requirements re-written to favor the smaller Boeing tanker designer.

UPDATE: I must assume that Wes Bush does not believe that Northrop Grumman has the clout to protest the eventual decision if/when Boeing wins the KC-X contract. Northrop Grumman has already shown that it doesn't have the clout to uphold its February 2008 win of the original KC-X proposal against Boeing's subsequent protest.

Disclaimer: SORRY - This is only what I know from my point of view. No lies, just what I see as the truth.