As Airbus blasts off alone in the US Air Force Tanker Bid, Lockheed conducts a calculated strategic retreat.

WASHINGTON — L?ckh??? M??tin h?s ?n??? its ?????t t? c?m??t? ??? ? U.S. Ai? F??c? c?nt??ct t? ??il? th? s??vic?’s n?xt w?v? ?? 75 ?????lin? t?nk??s.

B?t Ai???s, with wh?m L?ckh??? M??tin h?? ?l?nn?? t? ??il? th? ?????s?? LMXT st??t??ic t?nk??, will still c?m??t? ??? th? KC-135 ??c??it?liz?ti?n. LMXT w??l? h?v? ???n ??s?? ?n Ai???s’s A330 M?lti R?l? T?nk?? T??ns???t.

“Ai???s ??m?ins c?mmitt?? t? ???vi?in? th? U.S. Ai? F??c? ?n? ??? w???i?ht??s with th? m?st m????n ?n? c????l? t?nk?? ?n th? m??k?t ?n? will ???m?ll? ??s??n? t? th? Unit?? St?t?s Ai? F??c? KC-135 ??c??it?liz?ti?n” ?????st ??? in???m?ti?n, ?n Ai???s s??k?s???s?n s?i? in ? M?n??? st?t?m?nt t? D???ns? N?ws. “Th? A330 U.S.-MRTT is ? ??li??l? ch?ic? ??? th? U.S. Ai? F??c?; ?n? th?t will ??liv?? ????????ilit?, ???v?n ??????m?nc? ?n? ?nm?tch?? c????iliti?s.”

L?ckh??? s??k?sw?m?n St??h?ni? Stinn s?i? in ?n ???li?? st?t?m?nt th? c?m??n? h?? ??ci??? n?t t? ??s??n? t? th? Ai? F??c?’s RFI. Th? n?ws w?s ?i?st ?????t?? ?? R??t??s.

Stinn s?i? L?ckh??? ?l?ns t? t??nsiti?n th? t??m ?n? ??s???c?s w??kin? ?n th? ?????s?? LMXT st??t??ic t?nk?? t? ?th?? ??????ms, incl??in? th? n?xt-??n???ti?n ???i?l ?????lin? s?st?m, ?? NGAS, ??????m.

In ? ??ll?w-?? ?m?il, Stinn s?i? th? Ai? F??c?’s ??cisi?n ???li?? this ???? t? ?cc?l???t? NGAS w?s ?n? ?? s?v???l ??ct??s th?t l?? it t? ???? its ???s?it ?? LMXT ?n? ??c?s ?n th? n?xt-??n???ti?n t?nk??, ?l?n? with ?th?? ?l?m?nts in th? ??c?nt RFI. L?ckh??? ??clin?? t? s?? h?w m?ch it ?n? Ai???s s??nt t? ??v?l?? LMXT.

L?ckh???’s ch?ic? t? ???? ??t ?? th? t?nk?? c?m??titi?n c??l? inc???s? c?m??tit?? B??in?’s ch?nc?s ?? s?llin? m??? KC-46 P???s?s t?nk??s t? th? Ai? F??c? ??? th? n?xt ?h?s? ?? th? s??vic?’s m?lti?illi?n-??ll?? ?????t t? ???l?c? its l???c? KC-135 St??t?t?nk?? ?i?c???t.

Th? Ai? F??c? h?s ?st??lish?? ? th???-st??? ???c?ss ??? ??c??it?lizin? th? KC-135, with th? n?w in-???c?ss ?c??isiti?n ?? 179 KC-46s ?????s?ntin? its ?i?st ?h?s?.

B?t th? s??vic? this ???? ??sh???l?? its ?c??isiti?n ?l?ns ??? th? s?c?n? ?n? thi?? ?h?s?s ?? th? t?nk?? ??c??it?liz?ti?n. O?i?in?ll?, th? Ai? F??c? ?l?nn?? t? ??? ????t 150 t?nk??s in th? s?c?n? ?h?s?, ?n? L?ckh??? t??m?? ?? with Ai???s t? ?itch LMXT ??? this ???c???m?nt. B?t ??? ?t l??st ? ???? ?n? ? h?l?, t?? Ai? F??c? ???ici?ls, incl??in? S?c??t??? F??nk K?n??ll, h?v? st??n?l? s????st?? th?? w??? l??nin? t?w??? ???in? m??i?i?? KC-46s ??? th? n?xt ?h?s?.

In M??ch, th? Ai? F??c? ?nn??nc?? it w?s ??v?m?in? its t?nk?? ?l?ns ?n? w??l? c?t th? ?l?nn?? ???ch?s? ?? s?c?n? ?h?s? t?nk??s in h?l?, t? ????t 75. As ???t ?? its n?w t?nk?? st??t???, th? Ai? F??c? ?ls? s??? ?? ?l?ns t? ?c??i?? NGAS.

Th? Ai? F??c?’s s????is? sl?sh ?? th? t?nk?? ??? w?s ? ?l?w t? LMXT. B?t L?ckh??? c?ntin??? t? ??sh ???w???, ?n? in J?n? th? c?m??n? ?nn??nc?? it ch?s? ? G?n???l El?ct?ic A???s??c? ?n?in? ??? LMXT. A L?ckh??? ???ici?l t?l? ?????t??s ?t th? tim? th? c?m??n? h???? th? ?n?in? ch?ic? w??l? sh?w th? Ai? F??c? th?t LMXT w??l? ?? ? vi??l? s?l?ti?n ??? its t?nk?? n???s.

Th? Ai? F??c?’s ????t? ??????m ?x?c?tiv? ???ic?? ??? m??ilit? ?i?c???t, Sc?tt B???, t?l? ?????t??s in D??t?n, Ohi?, in l?t? J?l? th?t ? KC-46 ???ch?s? w?s n?t ? ??????n? c?ncl?si?n. B?t h? s?i? th? s??vic? w??l? h?v? t? s?? i? its m??k?t ??s???ch sh?w?? ? vi??l? ?lt??n?tiv? t? th? KC-46 ?xists.