MONTGOMERY – Governor Bob Riley issued the following statement on Monday about Northrop Grumman Corporation’s decision not to submit another bid on the U.S. Air Force tanker contract:
“I don’t blame Northrop Grumman for refusing to take part in this charade. The Pentagon and White House have made it impossible for any other plane to be competitive. It’s disgraceful. If this was not a political decision, then why would the Pentagon intentionally rewrite the specifications from what they originally wanted a year ago? When the Air Force is compelled by politics to select the slower, smaller and older plane, no one can say with a straight face that this is what’s best for America or America’s warfighters.
“Since the RFP was issued, I know how hard Northrop, their partner EADS and the State of Alabama have worked in order to find a way to be competitive. The state even gave additional concessions to make sure we were doing everything we possibly could to be competitive. But ultimately, this decision to select the other aircraft was sealed when the RFP was issued.”
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement