The tanker contract was truly a surprise given the political clout Boeing can bring to bear on any topic of it's choice. The glee which one poster expressed because his little corner of the world will get a minor part of the Northrup-Airbus contract can usually be multiplied over 50 states by Boeing.

However, I suspect the Boeing was treating situation with some disdain, a bit like the local school bus company who thought no one could knock them out of their contract. They had the busses, drivers, infrastructure and had done it forever. An aggressive company came in and took 'em out big time, and now it's had the contract for a while.

Boeing has many, many US government contracts which everyone has acknowledged are in effect cost-plus. Between Boeing and the Air Force they will put together something that can get past Congress and then that budget is out the window. They are typical of the socialistic relationship big business has with the US government. Add-ons and change orders are granted almost automatically and drive the cost, and Boeing's profit, through the roof.

I suspect Boeing did not think this contract could go elsewhere and the initial gouge was incredible. And I suspect that Northrop-Airbus put together their bid in such a way that if they didn't get the contract they could both demonstrate theirs was the better proposal and sue for damages and possibly accuse the Air Force of fraud.

We'll never know the truth, but I'd bet Boeing simply got greedy. And with good reason. Looked like another slam dunk for them.

Arf