The Pentagon has released the much-awaited draft request for a proposal for the KC-X Tanker deal.
The competitions source selection will weigh price and non-price factors based on a set of 373 mandatory requirements alongside 93 non-mandatory ‘trade space’ requirements that would provide additional value.
The wartime effectiveness will be measured on the same integrated aerial refuelling assessment model used in the last KC-X competition.
The Air Force will also take into account wartime effectiveness and day-to-day efficiency and cost of ownership, which will be assessed using fuel burn, based on the average 489 hours per aircraft flown each year by the existing KC-135 tanker fleet and military construction costs to base the aircraft.
Boeing has responded to the request for a proposal saying that it will conduct a detailed review of the document to decide whether it will offer the agile, flexible 767-based tanker or the large 777-based tanker.
Industry will now have 60 days to review and comment on the draft RFP, after which bidders will have 60 days to respond, followed by up to 120 days of government evaluation.
The Air Force plans to award the final deal to acquire 179 tankers in mid-2010.
