Boeing: Then and now
Boeing and Hill Supporters Viewed Process as Open, Transparent — Until the Winner Was Announced
What a difference a day makes. In defense matters, agility is necessary.
Mark McGraw, Vice President of Boeing Tanker Programs
- “On this particular competition, we continue to have confidence that the Air Force is going to continue running a fair and open competition.” (April 13, 2007)
- "I have extreme confidence that the Air Force is going to continue -- because they have been doing a great job so far -- a fair and open competition, and so I would expect that they will announce a winner, and hopefully the program can just move forward. That is what I want to see." (April 12, 2007)
- "We have really tailored our platform to the requirements," Mark McGraw, vice president of Tanker Programs, told Defense Daily yesterday. "We have not been trying to tailor the requirements to our platform." (12 April 2007)
- "All we are looking for is an open and fair competition, and that is where we have gotten into some of those issues … They asked for information about [Berry amendment compliance] in the RFI . . . and remember, the RFI is a request for information, and obviously the Air Force knew the issue was out there" (August 4, 2006)
William Barksdale, Boeing spokesman
- The Air Force "has clearly communicated to us throughout the summer and fall." (December 8, 2007)
Ronald Fogleman (former U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff; Boeing consultant)
- “If there is going to be a protest, it is going to have to be made on the basis of something everybody knows, because it is so transparent.” (January 15, 2008)
Representative Adam Smith (D-WA)
- "I am very disappointed in the Air Force's decision on the tanker contract. While I am sure that the Air Force' process was fair and open, I look forward to reading in detail their justification, as the Defense Department had previously identified Boeing tankers as highly-rated, cost-effective updates to the force. Our regional producer had a very competitive bid, and I am disappointed that the Air Force did not select our home-grown, innovative solution to their needs." (29 February 2008)
Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS)
- “In closing, I must commend the Air Force for their efforts in conducting an open and fair competition. To date, I have been nothing but impressed with their obvious desire to provide the best aircraft to the American people.” (31 October 2007)
Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS)
- “Precisely because of the open nature of this competition, I can state confidently that Boeing, with its 75 years of experience building tankers, has put forward a superior proposal.” (3 February 2008)
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)
- “I’m proud that the process for selecting a company to supply these tankers has been a truly open one. And I’ll talk more about that in a few minutes.” (31 October 2007)
