On Mar 12, 8:54*pm, "Bob Gardner" wrote:

Another point in Boeing's favor: they have a 767 production line and skilled workers in
Everett right now...EADS would have to build an assembly plant in Mobile and
hire aerospace workers from......???


Boeing definitely has an advantage there, but it's amazing to me that
they based their tanker on the 767-200 and not the stretch 767-300 or
-400. One of the USAF requirements was the flexibility of the aircraft
to be used as a transport, augmenting the C-5 & C-17 fleet. Now with
over half the C-5s being retired (the C-5As) the extra lift from the
KC-45A will be significant. Boeing even considered a tanker/transport
version of the 777 but decided against it.