On Thu, 15 Feb 2007 22:33:33 GMT, "Viperdoc"
wrote in
:

You have to remember that tankers are an essential and valuable asset, and
the current ones are based on 707's. They are getting long in the tooth,
considering the hours and hard use they have endured.

Even refurbishment in a depot can not always resurrect an old and tired
airframe. Simply put, the Air Force needs newer tanker assets, and it would
be simpler to modify an existing airframe rather than go through a clean
sheet design.


While that may be true, it overlooks the point, that Boeing has a
history of criminal behavior in dealing with government contracts, and
now it is proposing to install its automation system to control all
air traffic in the NAS via satellite. Those facts set off my
boondoggle detector.

While the concept is enormously attractive in its ability to nearly
completely automate air traffic control, there will be several new
vulnerabilities introduced unless they are addressed and resolved
BEFORE implementations of NextGen commences.