Boeing Protests Air Force Contract on Tankers

Boeing Protests Air Force Contract on Tankers
A deal awarded to a U.S. competitor, teamed with the parent of Europe's Airbus, angers some lawmakers in Congress. Transcript of radio broadcast:
13 March 2008

This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

Must a country buy from its own defense suppliers? This is one of the questions in Washington in a dispute over a deal worth at least thirty-five billion dollars. The contract will supply the Air Force with one hundred seventy-nine tankers.

The Air Force says it has a serious need for new planes to refuel aircraft in mid-flight. Boeing has a long history of supplying tankers to the Air Force.

But on February twenty-ninth, the Air Force awarded the contract to another American company, Northrop Grumman, teamed with EADS. EADS is the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company, the parent of Airbus.

This week, Boeing protested the decision. The Government Accountability Office will study the appeal and expects to have a report by June nineteenth.

Boeing says it found problems in the process used to reach the decision. The Air Force has called the process fair and open.

But the decision not to give the contract to the Chicago-based company has angered lawmakers in Congress from states with Boeing factories. These include Washington state and Kansas.

Boeing offered a version of its Seven Sixty-seven airplane for the new tankers. Northrop Grumman and EADS based their tanker on the Airbus A-Three-Thirty. That plane is larger and would be able to carry more fuel.

There is debate about the possible effect on American jobs because production would be split between Europe and the United States. There is also dispute about what the deal could mean for national security. In any case, Boeing says the Air Force changed requirements in the middle of the competition.

Boeing and Airbus each had record numbers of orders last year for commercial airplanes. Demand is strong in Europe and Asia. But this week, EADS reported a loss of six hundred eighty-five million dollars last year, after a profit in two thousand six.

Airbus has had delays with its huge, new A-Three-Eighty passenger plane. A weak dollar also played a part in the loss.

Boeing has had its own problems with its new Seven Eighty-seven Dreamliner. To build it, the company is using a new system of suppliers around the world. Boeing says the Dreamliner could enter service early next year. Many buyers are waiting, but the new plane has not even had its first flight. The latest progress report is expected by the end of the month.

And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter. For more news, go to voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.


----------------------------Google Translate

波音抗议空军合同，对油轮
协议批给另一名美国选手，他与队友的母公司，欧洲的空中客车公司，激怒一些国会议员在国会。全文电台广播：
2008年3月13日

这是美国之音特别英语经济学报告。

必须在一个国家购买从自身防务能力的供应商？这是问题之一，在华盛顿的争议，合同价值至少350.0亿美元。合同将供应空军179加油机。

空军说，它有一个严重的需要购买新飞机加油的飞机中飞行。波音公司有着悠久的历史供应油轮，以空军。

但于二月第二十九，空军授予的合同，另一家美国公司，诺斯罗普格鲁曼公司，他与队友EADS的。 EADS是欧洲航空防务和航天公司，母公司的空中客车公司。

这个星期，波音抗议的决定。政府问责办公室将研究提出上诉，并期待有一个报告，由六月十九。

波音公司说，它发现的问题，在这个过程中用来达到决定。空军有所谓的过程公平和公开的。

但是这一决定不给合同，向总部设在芝加哥的公司已经激怒了国会议员在国会国与波音公司的工厂。这些措施包括华盛顿州和堪萨斯州。

波音公司提供了一个版本，它的7 67飞机，为新油轮。诺格公司和EADS的基于他们的油轮就空中客车-三30 。这架飞机属于较大并能携带更多的燃料。

有辩论，对有可能影响美国就业机会，因为生产将分裂欧洲和美国。此外，还有争议，有什么交易可能意味着，为国家的安全。在任何情况下，波音公司说，空军的要求，改变了在中东的竞争。

波音和空中客车各有创纪录的订单，去年商用飞机。需求强劲，在欧洲和亚洲市场。但是这个星期，该公司报告亏损6.85亿美元，去年在实现利润在2000六名。

空中客车公司已拖延其庞大的，新-三80客机。疲软的美元也发挥了部分中的损失。

波音公司也有自己的问题，其新的7个87梦想。建设，该公司是采用一种新的系统供应商，在世界各地。波音公司说，波音787可以进入服务明年年初。现在许多买主正在等待，但新飞机，甚至没有了第一次飞行。最新进度报告可望在本月底之前。

这也是该美国之音特别英语经济学报告，写马里奥里特尔。了解更多消息，请前往voaspecialenglish.com 。我史蒂夫Ember公司。