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Boeing Boondoggle



 
 
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  #21  
Old October 18th 03, 02:04 AM
Larry Dighera
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The U.S. Air Force urged lawmakers to approve its plan to lease
100 BOEING CO. 767 refueling planes despite three new
congressional reports poking holes in what would be the first
such rental of a major weapons system. "The Air Force is hoping
that the Senate Armed Services Committee will approve our
original proposal to lease 100 tankers," said a spokeswoman,
Major Karen Finn. "The Air Force really needs this capability."
The Armed Services Committee is alone among the four military
oversight panels that has yet to approve the deal, designed to
acquire the tankers without significant upfront funding that
would squeeze other combat priorities. The service defended the
lease a day after the Congressional Budget Office found
taxpayers could reap $6.7 billion in savings with an outright
purchase, which is standard procurement procedure for arms
systems.
(Reuters 04:21 PM ET 10/17/2003)

Mo
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On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 14:53:26 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

The top Democrat on the House of Representatives' Armed Services
Committee said he was having second thoughts on a $22.4 billion
Air Force plan to lease then buy BOEING Co. refueling planes,
citing studies that have challenged its financial soundness. "I
think it would be useful to bring members up to date on the many
reports and studies that have emerged since our hearings on the
issue," Rep. Ike Skelton of Missouri wrote panel chairman
Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., on Wednesday. Studies by the
Congressional Budget Office, General Accounting Office,
Institute for Defense Analyses and Congressional Research
Service have shown that acquiring the 100 modified Boeing 767
aircraft initially through a lease, as the Air Force hopes to
do, would cost $5.5 billion more than buying them outright.
(Reuters 12:53 PM ET 10/09/2003)

Mo
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The House of Representatives' Appropriations Committee voted to
press ahead with a $22.4 billion proposal to lease then buy
BOEING CO. 737s as Air Force refueling planes. But the move to
lease 100 modified 767s as mid-air tankers starting in 2006 --
identical to a Senate appropriations measure -- highlighted
misgivings about the deal among what appeared to be a growing
number of lawmakers. The panel shot down, 33 to 28, a rival
plan, jokingly introduced by its top Democrat, David Obey of
Wisconsin, that would have earmarked $14 billion to start
buying the aircraft outright rather than leasing them first.
"If you want to save the taxpayers money, the best way is to
buy them now," Obey said in bating colleagues to own up to the
lease's extra costs and exercise what he portrayed as fiscal
responsibility.
(Reuters 03:16 PM ET 10/09/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 18:16:49 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

New questions emerged about the personal ties between BOEING CO.
and Darleen Druyun, a former top Air Force official who got a
job with the company after helping negotiate a multibillion
dollar deal to lease Boeing 767s as airborne refueling tankers.
The National Legal and Policy Center, a conservative nonprofit
group opposing the lease deal, released public records that
show Druyun agreed to sell her Virginia home to a senior Boeing
attorney while still working for the Air Force as a procurement
official. She had been deputy assistant secretary for Air Force
acquisition and management. The group also said Druyun's
daughter and son-in-law both work for Boeing, a fact confirmed
by the Chicago-based company.
(Reuters 03:18 PM ET 10/07/2003)

Mo
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On Sun, 05 Oct 2003 23:33:50 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

The nonpartisan U.S. Congressional Research Service raised new
doubts on Wednesday about a fresh Pentagon push to acquire
BOEING CO. 767 aircraft as midair refueling tankers through a
lease. The research service said the Defense Department's
latest proposal bolstered the case for purchasing the aircraft
outright, rather than leasing them first in a deal valued at
$22.4 billion. Earlier this month the Senate Armed Services
Committee put off what was to have been a final vote on the
lease proposal. Chairman John Warner, a Virginia Republican,
and the committee's top Democrat, Carl Levin of Michigan, asked
the Pentagon for data on leasing no more than 25 Boeing 767s,
down from the 100 sought by the Air Force.
(Reuters 07:46 PM ET 10/01/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 01 Oct 2003 23:01:27 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Air Force officials on Monday staunchly defended a $22.4 billion
air tanker lease agreement some critics say is a sweetheart
deal for BOEING CO. in the face of tough questions from Senate
aides. Air Force acquisitions chief Marvin Sambur and Lt. Gen.
Michael Zettler, deputy chief of staff for installations and
logistics, met with military legislative aides hoping to pave
the way for approval by the Senate Armed Services Committee of
the plan to lease then buy 100 Boeing 767 tankers. They held a
similar -- and equally contentious -- briefing for Senate
professional staffers on Friday, aides said. Despite the
last-minute push by the Air Force, Senate aides said they did
not expect the Senate Armed Services Committee to vote on the
controversial lease deal this week, putting off any action
until at least mid-October, after a one-week recess. The
committee is the final of four congressional panels to review
the deal. The other three have approved it.
(Reuters 08:08 PM ET 09/29/2003)

Mo
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On Fri, 26 Sep 2003 18:47:59 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Senate Armed Services Committee member John McCain, who helped
stall a $22.4 billion Air Force plan to lease then buy BOEING
CO. tankers, rejected as "non-responsive" a modified Defense
Department proposal. The Pentagon still has "not adequately
justified spending what it now acknowledges will be billions of
dollars more to acquire tankers through a lease," McCain, an
Arizona Republican, said in letters to the armed services
panel's leaders. McCain's new qualms could translate into
further delays for the tanker deal -- a plan to lease a major
weapons system for the first time rather than buy it outright.
(Reuters 04:53 PM ET 09/25/2003)

Mo
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The Pentagon's inspector general may issue a subpoena to BOEING
CO. and the U.S. Air Force for all written materials on a $22.4
billion deal to lease then buy 100 Boeing 767 tankers,
congressional and administration sources said on Monday. They
said Inspector General Joseph Schmitz is considering the
unusual move as he investigates possible impropriety in the
lease proposal that critics including U.S. Sen. John McCain
have blasted as a sweetheart deal for Boeing. The Pentagon's
in-house watchdog agency kicked off its investigation based on
documents provided by Boeing to Senate Commerce Committee
Chairman McCain, an Arizona Republican. But investigators,
including an FBI agent, want to see a complete and full record
of documents related to the case, the sources said.
(Reuters 05:40 PM ET 09/22/2003)

Mo
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Boeing Co (BA) (35.15 +0.26)

The Pentagon urged senators to approve a modified $22.4 billion
deal to lease, then buy, 100 BOEING CO. 767 tankers, seeking
authority to buy 26 of the tankers before their 6-year leases
expire to pare total program costs by $1.2 billion. Deputy
Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said buying the 26 tankers
early, between 2008 and 2010, would add $2.4 billion in initial
budget costs while lowering total program costs and allowing the
Air Force to immediately begin modernizing its 43-year-old fleet
of KC-135 tankers. "The optimum approach must balance the total
cost of the program, the additional funds needed ... and the
delivery schedule for the new capability," he told the Senate
Armed Services Committee, the last of four congressional panels
that must vote on the lease deal.
(Reuters 02:53 PM ET 09/23/2003)

Mo
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On Fri, 19 Sep 2003 14:44:14 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The Pentagon's inspector general has told Congress he plans a
formal investigation of possible impropriety involving the U.S.
Air Force's $22.4 billion proposal to lease then buy BOEING 767
aircraft as refueling tankers, a U.S. lawmaker said on
Wednesday. The inspector general, Joseph Schmitz, has concluded
that "sufficient credible information exists to warrant" a
formal investigation, said Sen. John McCain, an Arizona
Republican who has denounced the lease proposal as a sweetheart
deal for Boeing. "Up to now, it appears that the interests of
taxpayers have been subordinated to those of Boeing," McCain
said in disclosing the upgraded probe. In recent weeks, the
Pentagon's in-house watchdog has carried out a preliminary
inquiry into, among other things, whether an Air Force official
gave Boeing proprietary pricing data from Airbus, a rival for
the deal, Congressional staffmembers said.
(Reuters 10:50 PM ET 09/17/2003)

Mo
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President George W. Bush backed a controversial Air Force plan to
lease BOEING 767 aircraft as refueling tankers despite criticism
from Congress, according to an interview. "I do support it," he
said in an interview with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and
other regional newspapers. Senate Armed Services Committee
Chairman John Warner, a Virginia Republican, and Carl Levin of
Michigan, the panel's top Democrat, have asked Defense
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to consider slashing the Air Force
proposal to lease and then buy 100 767s for $22.4 billion. The
senators have suggested leasing no more than 25 767s while
getting the rest of any needed tankers through standard
purchase procedures. Air Force Secretary James Roche said the
Air Force was still working on a lease-to-own deal, a possible
reference to the up to 25 aircraft that Warner and Levin have
suggested.
(Reuters 01:34 PM ET 09/17/2003)

Mo
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On Sat, 13 Sep 2003 15:18:18 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Sen. John McCain said that BOEING CO. appeared to have improperly
slanted the Pentagon process that led to its troubled $22.4
billion plan to lease then sell modified refueling tankers to
the Air Force. "To the extent that Boeing did so, its conduct
might have constituted an organizational conflict of interest
or anti-competitive behavior," he said in pressing Joseph
Schmitz, the Defense Department inspector general, to expand an
inquiry into the matter. In a separate letter, McCain, a member
of the Armed Services Committee, called on Defense Secretary
Donald Rumsfeld to provide all records relating to the lease
proposal from both Air Force Secretary James Roche and the
Pentagon's acting chief weapons buyer, Michael Wynne.
(Reuters 08:38 PM ET 09/11/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 10 Sep 2003 19:35:53 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

The U.S. Air Force on Monday said it expected to respond by early
next week to a letter from the Senate Armed Services Committee
proposing a scaled-down lease of 25 BOEING CO. 767s tankers.
"We're in the process of preparing our letter," said Air Force
spokeswoman Gloria Cales. "We should have our response pulled
together later this week or early next week." Cales gave no
details, but Air Force acquisitions chief Marvin Sambur last
week said it would be "significantly more expensive" to lease
fewer airplanes, due to lost volume discounts and the impact of
inflation. Once the Air Force completed its response, it would
go to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for approval, she said.
(Reuters 06:17 PM ET 09/08/2003)

Mo
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On Sat, 06 Sep 2003 11:43:43 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Sen. John McCain, who has criticized the cost of a U.S. Air Force
proposal to lease BOEING CO. 767s as refueling tankers, said on
Friday he would press Air Force Secretary James Roche and other
top Pentagon officials to hand over all records on the deal.
"We'll be asking for as much information as we can get," McCain
said in a telephone interview, 1 day after the Senate Armed
Services Committee on which he serves delayed an expected vote
on a $22.4 billion lease-to-buy plan.
(Reuters 04:23 PM ET 09/05/2003)

Mo
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On Fri, 05 Sep 2003 17:20:17 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

The Pentagon's Inspector General announced a formal investigation
into whether an Air Force official improperly shared data with
BOEING CO., raising new questions about a $22.4 billion Air
Force deal to lease, then buy 100 767 tankers. Sen. John McCain
cited the investigation and once again blasted the proposed
lease deal at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing, while Alaska
Republican Sen. Ted Stevens underscored what he called the
urgency of quickly replacing the Air Force's aging fleet of
KC-135 tankers due to increased wartime use. McCain said
documents provided by Chicago-based Boeing, the Air Force and
the Pentagon which prompted the investigation showed an
"extremely aggressive sales pitch" for the deal.
(Reuters 04:11 PM ET 09/03/2003)

Mo
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Darleen Druyun, a former Air Force official, offered as early as
October 2001 to meet with investors to stress the low risk of a
deal for the Air Force to lease Boeing tankers, a BOEING CO.
memorandum shows. The Pentagon's Inspector General on Wednesday
launched a formal investigation into whether the Air Force
shared proprietary data with Boeing, an inquiry defense
officials said was focused on Druyun, who joined Boeing in
January 2003 after retiring from the Air Force in November
2002. Boeing denies it received any proprietary data during the
negotiations, and Druyun had declined interview requests. The
company insists Druyun has not been involved in the lease
negotiations since joining the company, adhering firmly to
federal rules for former defense officials. Pentagon
investigators will try to determine if Druyun overstepped her
bounds in those discussions, but congressional sources said it
was clear from a series of emails provided to lawmakers by
Boeing that she played a key role early in the Air Force's
negotiations with Boeing.
(Reuters 08:12 PM ET 09/03/2003)

Mo
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Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner said his
panel would not rush to a vote on a controversial Air Force
plan to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767 refueling tankers, which has
been dogged by questions about its cost and propriety. "We owe
an obligation to the taxpayers to very carefully assess this
issue," the Virginia Republican said at the opening of a
hearing into the $22.4 billion Air Force proposal to lease and
then buy 100 aerial tankers. Warner said members of his panel
would hold discussions in a closed hearing after taking
testimony from witnesses before he would schedule a vote.
(Reuters 10:26 AM ET 09/04/2003)

Mo
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The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee has asked Defense
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to look at leasing just one quarter
of the 100 BOEING CO. 767s sought by the Air Force as refueling
tankers, officials said. The committee will postpone a vote on
the Air Force's plan until it gets a Pentagon analysis, the
officials said.
(Reuters 05:05 PM ET 09/04/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 03 Sep 2003 03:45:48 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Dozens of email exchanges among BOEING CO., the Air Force and the
Pentagon released on Saturday raised fresh questions about a
controversial $22.5 billion deal to lease, then buy 100 Boeing
767 tankers. The documents were among more than 8,000 provided
to the Senate Commerce Committee as it investigated a deal its
chairman, Sen. John McCain describes as a "military-industrial
rip-off" and a government bailout of Boeing, whose commercial
aircraft sales slumped after the September 2001 hijack attacks.
The documents contain no "smoking guns," congressional sources
say, but they show a close relationship between Boeing and Air
Force officials, including Air Force Secretary James Roche, as
well as details of a rival bid by Airbus SA.
(Reuters 05:11 PM ET 08/30/2003)

Mo
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Critics of a $22.4 billion Air Force proposal to lease, then buy,
100 Boeing 767s as refueling tankers plan to raise financing and
cost concerns at a Senate hearing on Wednesday in a final bid to
block the deal. Defense analysts predict tough questions in the
Senate Commerce Committee and other hearings this week, but say
the need to replace the Air Force's KC-135 tankers, which are on
average 43 years old, will ultimately win the votes needed for
approval. Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, chairman of the
Commerce Committee, blasts the deal as a government bailout of
BOEING CO., whose commercial aircraft sales slumped after the
September 2001 hijack attacks. The Congressional Budget Office,
the General Accounting Office and several government watchdog
groups are also skeptical of the deal, which has already won
needed approval from three of four congressional committees.
(Reuters 05:06 PM ET 09/02/2003)

Mo
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On Mon, 01 Sep 2003 16:12:34 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


BOEING CO. rejected published reports that it might have obtained
rival bidder Airbus SAS's proprietary information while
negotiating a proposed $22.5 billion refueling tanker
lease-purchase agreement with the U.S. Air Force. "Boeing
believes we did not receive any proprietary information from
any official on any subject throughout the entire tanker
lease-negotiation process," said Doug Kennett, a spokesman for
the company. Earlier in the day, the Seattle
Post-Intelligencer, citing an unnamed source, reported what it
called new allegations that a senior Air Force official had
"provided Boeing with proprietary information" about Airbus's
offer to supply its own aircraft and modify them for the
refueling mission. The French-German aerospace firm that
controls Airbus said its response to the U.S. Air Force's
original request for tanker bids was "proprietary in nature and
was furnished to the Air Force in confidence."
(Reuters 01:31 PM ET 08/29/2003)

Mo
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On Mon, 01 Sep 2003 15:07:06 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :



-------------------------------------------------------------------
AVflash Volume 9, Number 36a September 1, 2003
-------------------------------------------------------------------

BOEING TO FACE SENATE HEARING ON TANKER LEASE
Boeing is under scrutiny, and the heat is about to intensify on
Wednesday, when a hearing will be held by the Senate Commerce
Committee about the planemaker's $21-billion leasing deal with the
U.S. Air Force for 100 B767 aerial refueling tankers. A report issued
last week by the Congressional Budget Office concluded that "the
proposed transaction would essentially be a purchase of the tankers by
the federal government but at a cost greater than would be incurred
under the normal appropriation and procurement process." The Seattle
Post-Intelligencer reported Friday that Boeing may have had improper
access to information about Airbus's competing proposal for the tanker
deal. Boeing denied that allegation. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a
longtime vocal critic of the lease -- which he has termed "corporate
welfare" for Boeing -- will preside over the hearing. Boeing has
already been in trouble for "industrial espionage" this summer.
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#185597



On Wed, 27 Aug 2003 16:15:04 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The U.S. Congressional Budget Office said the U.S. Air Force's
plan to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767s as refueling tankers will
cost $1.3 billion to $2 billion more than an outright purchase.
The congressional agency said the proposed lease also failed to
meet four out of six conditions set for government leases by
the White House Office of Management and Budget. In a report
published on its web site, CBO said on average, the Air Force
would spent $161 million for each new refueling tanker in 2002
dollars, compared to a cost of $131 million for an outright
purchase. Two Senate committee plan hearings on the deal next
week. The Air Force has said the deal would be about $150
million more costly than a purchase, but say leasing is
preferable since it would allow the military to begin replacing
its aging fleet of KC-135 refueling tanker far sooner.
(Reuters 04:27 PM ET 08/26/2003)

Mo
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On Tue, 29 Jul 2003 14:37:39 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :



A key panel in the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday
approved Air Force plans to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767 refueling
tankers, saying the lease would tie up less money in coming
years than a purchase. "(The tanker leasing proposal) allows us
to replace the aging fleet more quickly, while retaining an
essential combat capability over the next several decades,"
Rep. Duncan Hunter, chair of the House Armed Services
Committee, said in a statement late on Friday. "For this
reason, I am endorsing the proposal by the Secretary of Defense
to lease 100 KC-767 aerial refueling tankers from the Boeing
Corporation. The required notification will be sent this
evening."
(Reuters 01:58 AM ET 07/26/2003)

Mo
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On Fri, 25 Jul 2003 10:51:58 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The General Accounting Office raised questions about U.S. Air
Force plans to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767 refueling tankers,
saying the purchase cost of the planes after the 6-year lease
was higher than that reported by the military. GAO's $173.5
million per plane price is substantially higher than the $138.4
million -- $131 million plus $7.4 million for financing costs --
cited by the Air Force, said Neal Curtin, director of defense
capabilities for the congressional investigative agency. Curtin
told the House Armed Services Committee he also had concerns
about the "special purpose entity" created to own the aircraft
and lease them to the Air Force. The Air Force has already won
the approval of the House and Senate Appropriations committees,
and says it hopes to move forward on the deal by September.
(Reuters 10:51 AM ET 07/23/2003)

Mo
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On Tue, 15 Jul 2003 10:02:11 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

BOEING CO. said a controversial plan to lease 100 tanker aircraft
to the U.S. Air Force would offer good value and speed badly
needed planes into service. An Air Force analysis delivered to
Congress last Friday showed leasing could cost as much as $1.9
billion more than a straight purchase, more than 10% of the
proposed $17.2 billion deal, which would include an option to
buy for another $4 billion. Critics including Republican Sen.
John McCain of Arizona have blasted the deal as a
taxpayer-funded handout to Boeing, which has been badly hurt by
a slump in orders for its commercial jets since the Sept. 11,
2001 hijack attacks. But Air Force and Boeing officials argue
that the tanker fleet, with an average age of 43 years,
urgently needs an upgrade, saying the maintenance savings from
the 100 proposed new aircraft would be worth $5 billion.
(Reuters 03:24 PM ET 07/14/2003)

Mo
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On Mon, 07 Jul 2003 10:19:06 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :



-------------------------------------------------------------------
AVflash Volume 9, Number 28a July 7, 2003
-------------------------------------------------------------------

BOEING GETS AID FUNDS?...
It's the U.S.'s largest exporter and by far its largest aerospace
company, so when Boeing stamps its feet, the ground shakes under most
of us. Lately the Chicago-headquartered manufacturer has been
attracting the attention of critics who claim Boeing is drawing too
much from the government trough. The Citizens Against Government Waste
(CAGW) has formally asked the House Armed Services Subcommittee to
oppose a $21 billion deal for Boeing to lease 100 767 aerial tankers
to the Air Force. The CAGW claims upgrading the existing fleet of 127
707-based KC-135s would cost $3.8 billion and it also points out that
after leasing the 767s for 10 years the planes go back to Boeing. The
company is also (according to some) seeing some extremely generous
offers from states and towns as it dangles the carrot of 1,000 jobs to
be won by the location that will build its new 7E7 Dreamliner.
http://www.avweb.com/newswire/9_28a/...85269-1.html#2
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On Thu, 26 Jun 2003 01:07:00 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The Pentagon is working on an amendment to the proposed fiscal
2004 defense budget as a result of its plan to lease 100 BOEING
CO. 767s as refueling tankers, a top Air Force official said
Tuesday. Air Force Lt. Gen. Michael Zettler, deputy chief of
staff for installations and logistics, gave no details about
the amount of the request when he testified to the House Armed
Forces Committee's subcommittee on projection forces. The
hearing was the first of several expected on the controversial
proposed $16 billion lease agreement aimed at starting to
replace the Air Force's fleet of 543 KC-135 refueling tankers,
which average 42 years in age.
(Reuters 06:50 PM ET 06/24/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 18 Jun 2003 20:15:49 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Sen. John McCain, who has called a U.S. military contract with
BOEING CO. a "rip-off," sent a letter to Boeing Chief Executive
Philip Condit requesting documents related to the deal, The Wall
Street Journal reported. McCain, the chair of the U.S. Senate's
Commerce Committee, is seeking all communication between Boeing
and government officials related to the lease, as well as
documents from Boeing's interactions with commercial and
foreign government customers. A representative of Boeing could
not immediately be reached for comment, but a spokesman told
the Journal that Boeing received the letter and planned a
response. Critics of the deal have called on U.S. lawmakers to
delay approval of a $16 billion deal in which the Air Force
will lease planes from Boeing to replace its aging fleet of
refueling aircraft.
(Reuters 05:53 AM ET 06/17/2003)

Mo
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On Thu, 12 Jun 2003 13:33:18 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Seven independent groups blasted a $16 billion BOEING CO. lease
deal with the Air Force as "a profligate waste of taxpayer
dollars" and said lawmakers should delay its approval until a
criminal investigation into another Boeing contract is
completed. Boeing, anticipating the letter, on Monday bought
full-page advertisements in major U.S. newspapers, admitting
its employees acted improperly during a fierce competition with
LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP. for a $2 billion rocket deal. But Boeing
Chairman and Chief Executive Phil Condit said the company had
taken appropriate action after it learned of the errors and
would not tolerate unethical behavior. The Project on
Government Oversight, which also signed the letter, rejected
Condit's statement and said it had documented 36 cases of
misconduct or alleged misconduct by Boeing workers between 1990
and 2002, resulting in about $348 million in fines or penalties,
restitution and settlement fees.
(Reuters 01:00 AM ET 06/10/2003)

Mo
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On Thu, 29 May 2003 13:11:07 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


U.S. senators will hold a hearing in early June on a $16 billion
plan for BOEING CO. to lease 100 modified 767 jets to the Air
Force, but congressional aides and defense experts did not
expect the deal to run into last-minute problems on Capitol
Hill. Despite the Bush administration's approval of the lease,
defense experts said they did not expect it to be the harbinger
of a new Pentagon preference for leasing military equipment.
"It's going to sail through Congress," said Loren Thompson,
head of the Virginia-based Lexington Institute. "I don't see it
being held up. The Air Force wants it, the administration wants
it and some very key people in both houses of Congress want it."
(Reuters 05:19 PM ET 05/27/2003)

Mo
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On Sun, 25 May 2003 09:49:28 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


The White House budget office said that scant headway had been
made as far as it was concerned toward a proposed
multibillion-dollar Air Force tanker-lease deal with BOEING CO.
despite a string of high-level meetings. "OMB (Office of
Management and Budget) doesn't see a lot of progress since last
week," said spokesman Trent Duffy. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul
Wolfowitz discussed a revised proposal Tuesday night with both
the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer, Edward Aldridge, and Air
Force secretary James Roche. Wolfowitz is "taking the proposed
tanker lease under advisement," Cheryl Irwin, a Pentagon
spokeswoman, said. She said she did not know how long a
decision might take. The deal has been under discussion since
early last year.
(Reuters 06:53 PM ET 05/21/2003)

Mo
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----------------------------------------------------------------



Top Pentagon officials late on Tuesday began reviewing the Air
Force's plans to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767s as refueling tankers
after the company further lowered its price, sources familiar
with the agreement said. After nonstop negotiations, Boeing had
agreed to lower the price for each of the modified 767-200ER
planes below the figure of $136 million reported last week. The
price of the overall lease deal -- which critics have blasted as
corporate welfare for a company hard hit by a slump in
commercial sales -- was now below $17 billion, including the
terms of the 6-year lease and an Air Force purchase at the end
of the lease, the sources said. The initial deal called for the
Air Force to pay $17 billion for the lease, and $4 billion for
purchase at the end.
(Reuters 05:35 PM ET 05/20/2003)

Mo
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On Tue, 13 May 2003 02:14:28 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


BOEING CO. has agreed to reduce by 6% the price of a multibillion
deal to lease 100 767 aircraft to the Air Force as refueling
tankers, defense officials said. The officials, who asked not
to be named, said Boeing officials had agreed to trim the price
of each 767-ER200 aircraft by $9 million to about $141 million
each. The officials said a decision on the deal -- which has
been in the works for over 18 months -- could come soon. But
they said defense officials were at pains to review the
agreement very carefully, since it marked the first time the
U.S. military would lease -- rather than buy -- such a large
number of aircraft. The lease had been expected to cost $17
billion over 6 years, with the Air Force to pay an additional
$4 billion to buy the planes at the end of the term.
(Reuters 02:01 PM ET 05/12/2003)

Mo
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On Fri, 09 May 2003 01:13:04 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:

The Defense Department still has issues to resolve before
endorsing a multibillion dollar U.S. Air Force proposal to
lease 100 BOEING CO. 767s as refueling tankers, the prime
congressional mover behind the plan said Wednesday. "I'm
talking to all parties, trying to move this thing forward --
and we're still not quite there yet," said Rep. Norm Dicks, the
Washington Democrat who spearheaded the law authorizing the
unusual leasing arrangement. The Air Force and Boeing have been
working on the proposed lease for more than a year. Their
tentative deal involved a $17 billion lease over 6 years, with
an option to purchase the aircraft for another $4 billion at
the end of the lease. By some accounts, the Defense Department
had been expected to sign off any day now following a fresh
round of meetings on Friday and over the weekend that
reportedly lowered the cost to the Air Force.
(Reuters 05:39 PM ET 05/07/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 07 May 2003 17:40:54 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:



Pentagon lawyers are taking a final look at a proposed
multibillion Air Force lease of 100 BOEING CO. 767 jets as
refueling tankers and the deal could be approved later Tuesday,
defense officials said. But sources familiar with the
negotiations warned the deal -- which critics blast as a
corporate handout to Boeing -- has been in the works for more
than 18 months and last-minute issues have delayed its approval
more than once. Negotiators from Chicago-based Boeing, the Air
Force and the Office of the Secretary of Defense succeeded over
the weekend in narrowing the differences between the cost of the
deal as estimated by the Air Force and the independent Institute
for Defense Analyses, the officials said. Under the terms of the
original deal, the Air Force would spend $17 billion to lease
the 100 planes for 6 years, paying an additional $4 billion to
buy them at the end of the term.
(Reuters 12:04 PM ET 05/06/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=811...a&s=rb0305 06

======================== ========================================

On Sat, 03 May 2003 04:38:27 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:



BOEING CO. said its plan to lease 100 767 commercial jets to the
U.S. Air Force as refueling tankers could generate as much as
$2.8 billion in support revenues over the projected life of the
proposed $17 billion lease. John Sams, the Boeing official who
negotiated the deal with the air force, said each aircraft was
projected to spin off $4.8 million a year during the projected
6-year lease, assuming 750 hours of flying time. This figure
would include all spare parts, training and simulators, the
company said, and total $28.8 million per tanker over the 6
years. If the leases were extended, Boeing's take would rise
correspondingly. Under a tentative deal awaiting U.S. Defense
Department's approval, the air force would have an option to
buy the modified 767s at the end of the lease for a combined $4
billion.
(Reuters 11:46 PM ET 05/01/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=810...a&s=rb0305 01

======================= =========================================

On Wed, 23 Apr 2003 00:39:24 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:



Top Pentagon and White House officials on May 2 will revisit a
controversial $17 billion plan for the Air Force to lease 100
BOEING CO. 767 jets as refueling tankers, sources familiar with
the matter said on Monday. Boeing and Air Force officials have
been pressing for months to win approval for the unique leasing
arrangement that would also give the Air Force the option to buy
the jets for $4 billion at the end of the lease. The deal is
complicated because the government generally buys rather than
leases equipment like tankers. It has also sparked criticism
from some lawmakers, the Office of Management and Budget and
independent watchdog agencies.
(Reuters 05:34 PM ET 04/21/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=804...a&s=rb0304 21

====================== ==========================================

On Mon, 14 Apr 2003 18:24:19 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


BOEING CO.'s $17 billion plan to lease 100 of its 767 jets to the
U.S. Air Force as refueling tankers faces delay after U.S.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld sought information on
purchasing some of the planes, sources familiar with the matter
said. Also being informally examined is how the price per plane
could drop if another 80 to 100 of the tankers were to be
ordered, the sources said. Boeing and Air Force officials have
been hoping for months to get final clearance to proceed with
the unique leasing arrangement that would also give the Air
Force the option to buy the jets for $4 billion at the end of
the lease. Pentagon spokesman Glenn Flood dismissed any talk of
more than 100 aircraft. "The only plan is for 100. Any increase
above 100 would have to be approved by Congress and the White
House," he said.
(Reuters 05:06 PM ET 04/10/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=800...a&s=rb0304 10


On Tue, 11 Mar 2003 01:13:00 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is to review a $21 billion Air
Force plan to lease modified 767 BOEING CO. tankers that has
come under fire for its cost and financing, according to
sources familiar with the deal. Defense Undersecretary Edward
"Pete" Aldridge and Pentagon Comptroller Dov Zakheim, who make
up a panel that reviews leasing arrangements like the proposed
Boeing deal, are due to brief Rumsfeld. He was not expected to
approve or reject the deal at Monday's meeting, although
sources close to the negotiations said they expected him to
make a decision soon. Under the plan, the Air Force would pay
$17 billion to lease 100 planes to start replacing the
service's fleet of 40-year-old KC-135 tankers. Financial
service companies would set up a "special purpose entity" to
float bonds to buy the tankers from Boeing, and lease them to
the military.
(Reuters 05:33 PM ET 03/07/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=785...a&s=rb0303 07

On Thu, 13 Feb 2003 19:14:37 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
fjrn4vkjedt414f5o81 :


BOEING CO. expects a U.S. decision in the next 2 weeks on a
$17-billion tanker lease contract, a senior company official
said, adding that sales to the UK and others were also under
discussion. The world's largest aircraft maker aims to supply
100 tanker versions of its 767 commercial airliner to replace
the U.S. Air Force's ageing fleet of KC-135 tankers. "I'm
certain we'll have closure on it in the next two weeks," George
Muellner, Boeing senior VP for Air Force systems, told defense
reporters in London. "We've had dialogue with three or four
other countries, other than Italy and Japan," Muellner said.
Muellner said Japan had signed a deal this month and Australia
was interested. Italy signed a deal for four 767-based tankers
last month.
(Reuters 01:55 PM ET 01/29/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=768...a&s=rb0301 29


On Mon, 10 Feb 2003 03:57:25 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
4n8e4v8av75ot2gfli :


Top Pentagon officials aim to decide next week whether to allow
the Air Force to lease 100 modified 767 BOEING CO. tankers to
replace its ageing fleet, Defense Undersecretary Edward
Aldridge said. "It's hard ... It's a major investment,"
Aldridge said of the controversial $17 billion deal, which
would give the Air Force up to 12 new tankers in 2006 and all
100 by 2011. For an additional $4 billion the Air Force would
be able to purchase the jets outright at the end of the lease,
sources familiar with the deal have said. Aldridge, the
Pentagon's chief weapons buyer, favors innovative and flexible
approaches to defense procurement, and his office has
championed streamlined acquisitions rules aimed at getting
weapons to the services more quickly.
(Reuters 03:42 PM ET 02/07/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=773...a&s=rb0302 07

On Wed, 15 Jan 2003 01:12:47 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
d7d92v8q5sdkupes0 :


The U.S. Air Force hopes to win approval in Q1 2003 for a
controversial contract to lease 100 767 commercial jets from
BOEING CO., sources familiar with the discussions said on
Monday. The $17 billion lease contract - aimed at replacing the
Air Force's aging fleet of KC-135 tankers -- has been in the
works for over a year and still requires approval by top
Pentagon officials and U.S. lawmakers, who raised questions
last year about the costs of an earlier version of the
contract. The deal now under discussion would give the Air
Force 11 to 12 new tankers in 2006, with all 100 to be
delivered by 2011. For an additional $4 billion, the Air Force
will be able to purchase the jets outright at the end of the
lease, according to sources familiar with the deal.
(Reuters 06:22 PM ET 01/13/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=759...a&s=rb0301 13

----------

On Sun, 17 Nov 2002 00:43:37 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
ifpdtuovlha5l2fb :


BOEING CO. said it no longer expected to wrap up as early as next
month a proposed deal, valued at as much as $18 billion, to
lease 100 aerial refueling tankers to the U.S. Air Force.
Instead, it may take until early next year to reach agreement
with the Air Force, partly because of a new Congress taking
office in January, said Jim Albaugh, president and chief
executive of Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems unit. "We're
in final negotiations with the customer," he told reporters at
a briefing on the company's scheduled first launch of its Delta
4 rocket.
(Reuters 12:52 PM ET 11/14/2002)

Mo
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================ ================================================


On Sun, 10 Nov 2002 12:08:17 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
dvissu4135etdu8 :


BOEING CO. said its proposal to lease 100 aerial refueling
tankers would cost the U.S. Air Force about $17 billion, some
$10 billion less than previously estimated, with an option to
purchase the aircraft for another $4 billion. The current
estimate must still be scrutinized by the Pentagon's Cost
Analysis Improvement Group, but if accurate, it could ease
concern in Congress and at the White House over the initial
price tag of $26 billion to $28 billion. "It will turn out to
be more like the $17 to $18 billion we are talking about,"
Boeing's VP for airlift and tanker programs Howard Chambers
told Reuters by telephone. "Over the last six months we have
gotten more clarity."
(Reuters 03:08 PM ET 11/07/2002)

Mo
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----------------------------------------------------------------

On Wed, 06 Nov 2002 15:26:33 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
i4disug2gpmufj :



BOEING CO., still negotiating with the U.S. government, hopes to
close a key deal to lease modified 767 jetliners as refueling
tankers to the U.S. Air Force by year-end, a spokesman said.
The price under discussion is now $17 billion for 100 refueling
tankers, down from the originally estimated $26 billion that
failed to win approval in Washington, The Wall Street Journal
reported. Boeing, the second largest U.S. military contractor,
had hoped to close the deal long ago but has been thwarted by
concerns over price and the value of buying versus leasing. At
one point, rival airplane manufacturer Airbus of Europe was
also trying to win the deal.
(Reuters 11:42 AM ET 11/05/2002)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=732...a&s=rb0211 05




On Wed, 04 Sep 2002 01:41:34 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
d5panukhiq14q :



GENERAL DYNAMICS CORP. said the U.S. Navy had given it and BOEING
CO. 30 days to pay $2.3 billion to settle an 11-year legal
battle over the Pentagon's abrupt cancellation of the Navy's
A-12 fighter jet. "General Dynamics regards this demand as an
unseemly negotiating tactic, and an apparent effort to gain
advantage during settlement talks," the company said, noting
that it would seek an injunction in federal court if the
settlement talks failed to reach a result before the 30-day
deadline. General Dynamics, Boeing and the Navy were in intense
discussions this summer to settle the matter, with one proposal
calling for the companies to provide goods and services to the
Navy valued at more than $2.5 billion, including discounts on
F-18E/F fighter jets it plans to buy in the future.
(Reuters 03:19 PM ET 09/03/2002)

Mo
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============= ================================================== =


On Thu, 08 Aug 2002 14:39:41 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
fj05lu8e0tt7 :



Officials at the U.S. Air Force and aircraft manufacturer BOEING
CO. said on Tuesday they were still hammering out an agreement
to lease 100 commercial Boeing 767s and convert them to aerial
refueling tankers, despite new White House criticism of the
proposed deal. White House Budget Director Mitchell Daniels
said in a recent letter he would not support any proposal that
cost taxpayers more than an outright purchase. "The Air Force
and Boeing are still in negotiations," said Air Force
spokeswoma n Capt. Jessica Smith, noting the current fleet of
545 KC-135 tankers had an average age of 41 years. "We're
working to find the best deal for the taxpayers."
(Reuters 05:53 PM ET 08/06/2002)

Mo
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----------------------------------------------------------------

On Thu, 18 Jul 2002 17:19:32 GMT, "W. D. Allen"
ballensr@ad elphia.net (W. D. Allen) wrote in Message ID
EMCZ8.6962$ :

More like an Air Farce, not a Boeing, boondoggle! Can't sell something to a
customer when they do not want it!! Get it right or forget it!

WDA

end

"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
news:8j8cju ...

BOEING CO. CFO Mike Sears said the aerospace company expects to
sign a deal to lease air refueling tankers to the U.S. Air
Force by the end of summer. Congress authorized the Air Force
in December to negotiate a leasing deal with Boeing for 100
converted 767s to replace some aging KC-135 tankers. White
House and congressional budget experts had said it would be
cheaper to buy new planes or refurbish the old tankers than
sign a 10-year lease with an estimated cost of $26 billion to
$37 billion.
(Reuters 10:44 AM ET 07/17/2002)

Mo

http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=674...a&s=rb0207 17


On Fri, 17 May 2002 03:34:14 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
:

----------------------------------------------------------------
Boeing Co (BA) (45.00 +0.45)

Replacing the oldest U.S. refueling aircraft remains an Air Force
priority, the service's secretary and chief of staff told
Congress Wednesday amid controversy over a proposed lease of
commercial aircraft from BOEING CO. The Air Force said concern
about the 43-year-old KC-135Es in its fleet had been heightened
by the increased pace of aerial refueling after the Sept. 11
attacks. Air Force Secretary James Roche rejected suggestions
that the Air Force could get by with its current refueling
fleet for 15 years or more. Replacement needs to start as soon
as possible, the Air Force said in a separate letter replying
to criticism of the proposed lease deal.
(Reuters 04:34 PM ET 05/15/2002)

Mo

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On Tue, 14 May 2002 00:55:42 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
:

----------------------------------------------------------------
Boeing Co (BA) (44.28 +0.65)

The Senate Armed Services Committee moved on Friday to boost
congressional oversight of a possible $26 billion Air Force
deal to lease BOEING CO. wide-body jets and turn them into
refueling tankers. Sen. John McCain said he was clearing the
way for public hearings on what he has described as a potential
taxpayer "rip-off." A measure adopted by the panel would force
the secretary of the Air Force to get specific funding for any
lease of Boeing 767 tankers -- a process that could delay any
deal to the next budget cycle if enacted into law.
(Reuters 05:15 PM ET 05/10/2002)

Mo

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0



On Thu, 09 May 2002 15:59:30 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
:


Boeing Co (BA) (44.41 +1.27)

Plans for the U.S. Air Force to lease BOEING CO. 767 commercial
aircraft as aerial refueling tankers is an expensive solution
that could actually cut overall fuel capacity, according to a
White House analysis obtained on Tuesday. Office of Management
and Budget Director Mitch Daniels said leasing the 100 767s to
start replacing a 40-year-old fleet of KC-135 tankers would
cost up to $26 billion and result in a slightly smaller overall
fuel capacity. A $3.2 billion upgrade of 126 KC-135s would
increase fleet capacity by a similar amount but the Air Force
had not chosen this route, Daniels said in a letter to leasing
critic, Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain.
(Reuters 07:52 PM ET 05/07/2002)

Mo

http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=639...0925a&s=rb0205
07

On 18 Apr 2002 22:00:27 -0700, (Blain Shinno) (Blain
Shinno) wrote in Message ID
m:

Boeing expects to begin delivering aerial refueling tankers
based on its 767 wide-body jetliner, including some for Italian
and Japanese forces, by late 2004, with some 100 tankers for the
U.S. Air Force rolling off the line beginning in 2005.

I wonder how many tankers will be delivered each year. Seems a little
long to wait for leased tankers. I wonder when all of them will be
delivered? For $26 billion the USAF better have the option of buying
the tankers for $1 at the end of the lease. And how does the lease
impact the future buy of tankers? When will 767 derivatives start
rolling off the line? Following the delivery of leased tankers, or
after? How is that going to impact the budget?



--

Irrational beliefs ultimately lead to irrational acts.
-- Larry Dighera,

  #22  
Old October 28th 03, 04:44 AM
Larry Dighera
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default



Bad blood between the U.S. Congress and the Pentagon has taken a
toll on BOEING CO.'s multibillion-dollar drive to lease
jetliners to the Air Force as refueling planes, congressional
officials and private analysts said on Friday. The Boeing issue
laid bare growing strains between Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld and his top lieutenants, on the one hand, and the two
most powerful Republicans on the Senate Armed Services
Committee, on the other. Among other things, the chill reflects
pique at what officials on both sides of the aisle deem
Rumsfeld's sometimes-dismissive approach to Congress, for
instance on the situation in post-war Iraq. But it also
reflects perceived slights to Armed Services Committee Chairman
John Warner of Virginia, Congress's top overseer of the Defense
Department, and the panel's second-ranking Republican, John
McCain of Arizona.
(Reuters 06:20 PM ET 10/24/2003)

Mo
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================================================== ==============


The White House budget office discounted Thursday a key senator's
request to "revisit" its endorsement of a multibillion-dollar
Air Force plan to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767s as refueling
planes. The Office of Management and Budget will review Senate
Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain's written request sent
Wednesday, said a spokesman. President Bush said on Sept. 16
that he backed the proposed lease to start replacing aging
KC-135 tankers. The Air Force says the lease would give it
needed capability sooner than it could buy outright without
pinching other combat priorities. McCain has denounced the
proposed lease, designed to lead to purchases, as a bonanza for
Boeing and a bad deal for taxpayers that does not comply with
the fiscal 2002 legislation that authorized it.
(Reuters 05:00 PM ET 10/23/2003)

Mo
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================================================== ==============


The Senate Commerce Committee plans another hearing next week on
a controversial multibillion-dollar Air Force proposal to lease
100 BOEING CO. 767 tankers, as the Senate Armed Services
Committee continues weigh its options, including approving a
scaled-down lease. The armed services panel, chaired by
Virginia Republican Sen. John Warner, is the last of four
committees that must approve the lease deal -- which the Air
Force says it needs to begin replacing its fleet of aging
midair refueling tankers without incurring significant upfront
funding costs. Warner is under considerable political pressure
to approve the lease deal, but aides said the latest reports
only underscored his concerns about the higher cost of leasing.
(Reuters 06:49 PM ET 10/21/2003)

Mo
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----------------------------------------------------------------

On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 01:04:49 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The U.S. Air Force urged lawmakers to approve its plan to lease
100 BOEING CO. 767 refueling planes despite three new
congressional reports poking holes in what would be the first
such rental of a major weapons system. "The Air Force is hoping
that the Senate Armed Services Committee will approve our
original proposal to lease 100 tankers," said a spokeswoman,
Major Karen Finn. "The Air Force really needs this capability."
The Armed Services Committee is alone among the four military
oversight panels that has yet to approve the deal, designed to
acquire the tankers without significant upfront funding that
would squeeze other combat priorities. The service defended the
lease a day after the Congressional Budget Office found
taxpayers could reap $6.7 billion in savings with an outright
purchase, which is standard procurement procedure for arms
systems.
(Reuters 04:21 PM ET 10/17/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=877...a&s=rb0310 17

================================================= ===============


On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 14:53:26 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

The top Democrat on the House of Representatives' Armed Services
Committee said he was having second thoughts on a $22.4 billion
Air Force plan to lease then buy BOEING Co. refueling planes,
citing studies that have challenged its financial soundness. "I
think it would be useful to bring members up to date on the many
reports and studies that have emerged since our hearings on the
issue," Rep. Ike Skelton of Missouri wrote panel chairman
Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., on Wednesday. Studies by the
Congressional Budget Office, General Accounting Office,
Institute for Defense Analyses and Congressional Research
Service have shown that acquiring the 100 modified Boeing 767
aircraft initially through a lease, as the Air Force hopes to
do, would cost $5.5 billion more than buying them outright.
(Reuters 12:53 PM ET 10/09/2003)

Mo
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----------------------------------------------------------------


The House of Representatives' Appropriations Committee voted to
press ahead with a $22.4 billion proposal to lease then buy
BOEING CO. 737s as Air Force refueling planes. But the move to
lease 100 modified 767s as mid-air tankers starting in 2006 --
identical to a Senate appropriations measure -- highlighted
misgivings about the deal among what appeared to be a growing
number of lawmakers. The panel shot down, 33 to 28, a rival
plan, jokingly introduced by its top Democrat, David Obey of
Wisconsin, that would have earmarked $14 billion to start
buying the aircraft outright rather than leasing them first.
"If you want to save the taxpayers money, the best way is to
buy them now," Obey said in bating colleagues to own up to the
lease's extra costs and exercise what he portrayed as fiscal
responsibility.
(Reuters 03:16 PM ET 10/09/2003)

Mo
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----------------------------------------------------------------


On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 18:16:49 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

New questions emerged about the personal ties between BOEING CO.
and Darleen Druyun, a former top Air Force official who got a
job with the company after helping negotiate a multibillion
dollar deal to lease Boeing 767s as airborne refueling tankers.
The National Legal and Policy Center, a conservative nonprofit
group opposing the lease deal, released public records that
show Druyun agreed to sell her Virginia home to a senior Boeing
attorney while still working for the Air Force as a procurement
official. She had been deputy assistant secretary for Air Force
acquisition and management. The group also said Druyun's
daughter and son-in-law both work for Boeing, a fact confirmed
by the Chicago-based company.
(Reuters 03:18 PM ET 10/07/2003)

Mo
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=============================================== =================

On Sun, 05 Oct 2003 23:33:50 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

The nonpartisan U.S. Congressional Research Service raised new
doubts on Wednesday about a fresh Pentagon push to acquire
BOEING CO. 767 aircraft as midair refueling tankers through a
lease. The research service said the Defense Department's
latest proposal bolstered the case for purchasing the aircraft
outright, rather than leasing them first in a deal valued at
$22.4 billion. Earlier this month the Senate Armed Services
Committee put off what was to have been a final vote on the
lease proposal. Chairman John Warner, a Virginia Republican,
and the committee's top Democrat, Carl Levin of Michigan, asked
the Pentagon for data on leasing no more than 25 Boeing 767s,
down from the 100 sought by the Air Force.
(Reuters 07:46 PM ET 10/01/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=870...a&s=rb0310 01

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On Wed, 01 Oct 2003 23:01:27 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Air Force officials on Monday staunchly defended a $22.4 billion
air tanker lease agreement some critics say is a sweetheart
deal for BOEING CO. in the face of tough questions from Senate
aides. Air Force acquisitions chief Marvin Sambur and Lt. Gen.
Michael Zettler, deputy chief of staff for installations and
logistics, met with military legislative aides hoping to pave
the way for approval by the Senate Armed Services Committee of
the plan to lease then buy 100 Boeing 767 tankers. They held a
similar -- and equally contentious -- briefing for Senate
professional staffers on Friday, aides said. Despite the
last-minute push by the Air Force, Senate aides said they did
not expect the Senate Armed Services Committee to vote on the
controversial lease deal this week, putting off any action
until at least mid-October, after a one-week recess. The
committee is the final of four congressional panels to review
the deal. The other three have approved it.
(Reuters 08:08 PM ET 09/29/2003)

Mo
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============================================= ===================


On Fri, 26 Sep 2003 18:47:59 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Senate Armed Services Committee member John McCain, who helped
stall a $22.4 billion Air Force plan to lease then buy BOEING
CO. tankers, rejected as "non-responsive" a modified Defense
Department proposal. The Pentagon still has "not adequately
justified spending what it now acknowledges will be billions of
dollars more to acquire tankers through a lease," McCain, an
Arizona Republican, said in letters to the armed services
panel's leaders. McCain's new qualms could translate into
further delays for the tanker deal -- a plan to lease a major
weapons system for the first time rather than buy it outright.
(Reuters 04:53 PM ET 09/25/2003)

Mo
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============================================ ====================



The Pentagon's inspector general may issue a subpoena to BOEING
CO. and the U.S. Air Force for all written materials on a $22.4
billion deal to lease then buy 100 Boeing 767 tankers,
congressional and administration sources said on Monday. They
said Inspector General Joseph Schmitz is considering the
unusual move as he investigates possible impropriety in the
lease proposal that critics including U.S. Sen. John McCain
have blasted as a sweetheart deal for Boeing. The Pentagon's
in-house watchdog agency kicked off its investigation based on
documents provided by Boeing to Senate Commerce Committee
Chairman McCain, an Arizona Republican. But investigators,
including an FBI agent, want to see a complete and full record
of documents related to the case, the sources said.
(Reuters 05:40 PM ET 09/22/2003)

Mo
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Boeing Co (BA) (35.15 +0.26)

The Pentagon urged senators to approve a modified $22.4 billion
deal to lease, then buy, 100 BOEING CO. 767 tankers, seeking
authority to buy 26 of the tankers before their 6-year leases
expire to pare total program costs by $1.2 billion. Deputy
Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said buying the 26 tankers
early, between 2008 and 2010, would add $2.4 billion in initial
budget costs while lowering total program costs and allowing the
Air Force to immediately begin modernizing its 43-year-old fleet
of KC-135 tankers. "The optimum approach must balance the total
cost of the program, the additional funds needed ... and the
delivery schedule for the new capability," he told the Senate
Armed Services Committee, the last of four congressional panels
that must vote on the lease deal.
(Reuters 02:53 PM ET 09/23/2003)

Mo
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============================================ ====================


On Fri, 19 Sep 2003 14:44:14 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The Pentagon's inspector general has told Congress he plans a
formal investigation of possible impropriety involving the U.S.
Air Force's $22.4 billion proposal to lease then buy BOEING 767
aircraft as refueling tankers, a U.S. lawmaker said on
Wednesday. The inspector general, Joseph Schmitz, has concluded
that "sufficient credible information exists to warrant" a
formal investigation, said Sen. John McCain, an Arizona
Republican who has denounced the lease proposal as a sweetheart
deal for Boeing. "Up to now, it appears that the interests of
taxpayers have been subordinated to those of Boeing," McCain
said in disclosing the upgraded probe. In recent weeks, the
Pentagon's in-house watchdog has carried out a preliminary
inquiry into, among other things, whether an Air Force official
gave Boeing proprietary pricing data from Airbus, a rival for
the deal, Congressional staffmembers said.
(Reuters 10:50 PM ET 09/17/2003)

Mo
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President George W. Bush backed a controversial Air Force plan to
lease BOEING 767 aircraft as refueling tankers despite criticism
from Congress, according to an interview. "I do support it," he
said in an interview with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and
other regional newspapers. Senate Armed Services Committee
Chairman John Warner, a Virginia Republican, and Carl Levin of
Michigan, the panel's top Democrat, have asked Defense
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to consider slashing the Air Force
proposal to lease and then buy 100 767s for $22.4 billion. The
senators have suggested leasing no more than 25 767s while
getting the rest of any needed tankers through standard
purchase procedures. Air Force Secretary James Roche said the
Air Force was still working on a lease-to-own deal, a possible
reference to the up to 25 aircraft that Warner and Levin have
suggested.
(Reuters 01:34 PM ET 09/17/2003)

Mo
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=========================================== =====================


On Sat, 13 Sep 2003 15:18:18 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Sen. John McCain said that BOEING CO. appeared to have improperly
slanted the Pentagon process that led to its troubled $22.4
billion plan to lease then sell modified refueling tankers to
the Air Force. "To the extent that Boeing did so, its conduct
might have constituted an organizational conflict of interest
or anti-competitive behavior," he said in pressing Joseph
Schmitz, the Defense Department inspector general, to expand an
inquiry into the matter. In a separate letter, McCain, a member
of the Armed Services Committee, called on Defense Secretary
Donald Rumsfeld to provide all records relating to the lease
proposal from both Air Force Secretary James Roche and the
Pentagon's acting chief weapons buyer, Michael Wynne.
(Reuters 08:38 PM ET 09/11/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 10 Sep 2003 19:35:53 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

The U.S. Air Force on Monday said it expected to respond by early
next week to a letter from the Senate Armed Services Committee
proposing a scaled-down lease of 25 BOEING CO. 767s tankers.
"We're in the process of preparing our letter," said Air Force
spokeswoman Gloria Cales. "We should have our response pulled
together later this week or early next week." Cales gave no
details, but Air Force acquisitions chief Marvin Sambur last
week said it would be "significantly more expensive" to lease
fewer airplanes, due to lost volume discounts and the impact of
inflation. Once the Air Force completed its response, it would
go to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for approval, she said.
(Reuters 06:17 PM ET 09/08/2003)

Mo
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On Sat, 06 Sep 2003 11:43:43 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Sen. John McCain, who has criticized the cost of a U.S. Air Force
proposal to lease BOEING CO. 767s as refueling tankers, said on
Friday he would press Air Force Secretary James Roche and other
top Pentagon officials to hand over all records on the deal.
"We'll be asking for as much information as we can get," McCain
said in a telephone interview, 1 day after the Senate Armed
Services Committee on which he serves delayed an expected vote
on a $22.4 billion lease-to-buy plan.
(Reuters 04:23 PM ET 09/05/2003)

Mo
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======================================== ========================


On Fri, 05 Sep 2003 17:20:17 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

The Pentagon's Inspector General announced a formal investigation
into whether an Air Force official improperly shared data with
BOEING CO., raising new questions about a $22.4 billion Air
Force deal to lease, then buy 100 767 tankers. Sen. John McCain
cited the investigation and once again blasted the proposed
lease deal at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing, while Alaska
Republican Sen. Ted Stevens underscored what he called the
urgency of quickly replacing the Air Force's aging fleet of
KC-135 tankers due to increased wartime use. McCain said
documents provided by Chicago-based Boeing, the Air Force and
the Pentagon which prompted the investigation showed an
"extremely aggressive sales pitch" for the deal.
(Reuters 04:11 PM ET 09/03/2003)

Mo
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Darleen Druyun, a former Air Force official, offered as early as
October 2001 to meet with investors to stress the low risk of a
deal for the Air Force to lease Boeing tankers, a BOEING CO.
memorandum shows. The Pentagon's Inspector General on Wednesday
launched a formal investigation into whether the Air Force
shared proprietary data with Boeing, an inquiry defense
officials said was focused on Druyun, who joined Boeing in
January 2003 after retiring from the Air Force in November
2002. Boeing denies it received any proprietary data during the
negotiations, and Druyun had declined interview requests. The
company insists Druyun has not been involved in the lease
negotiations since joining the company, adhering firmly to
federal rules for former defense officials. Pentagon
investigators will try to determine if Druyun overstepped her
bounds in those discussions, but congressional sources said it
was clear from a series of emails provided to lawmakers by
Boeing that she played a key role early in the Air Force's
negotiations with Boeing.
(Reuters 08:12 PM ET 09/03/2003)

Mo
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Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner said his
panel would not rush to a vote on a controversial Air Force
plan to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767 refueling tankers, which has
been dogged by questions about its cost and propriety. "We owe
an obligation to the taxpayers to very carefully assess this
issue," the Virginia Republican said at the opening of a
hearing into the $22.4 billion Air Force proposal to lease and
then buy 100 aerial tankers. Warner said members of his panel
would hold discussions in a closed hearing after taking
testimony from witnesses before he would schedule a vote.
(Reuters 10:26 AM ET 09/04/2003)

Mo
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The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee has asked Defense
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to look at leasing just one quarter
of the 100 BOEING CO. 767s sought by the Air Force as refueling
tankers, officials said. The committee will postpone a vote on
the Air Force's plan until it gets a Pentagon analysis, the
officials said.
(Reuters 05:05 PM ET 09/04/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 03 Sep 2003 03:45:48 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Dozens of email exchanges among BOEING CO., the Air Force and the
Pentagon released on Saturday raised fresh questions about a
controversial $22.5 billion deal to lease, then buy 100 Boeing
767 tankers. The documents were among more than 8,000 provided
to the Senate Commerce Committee as it investigated a deal its
chairman, Sen. John McCain describes as a "military-industrial
rip-off" and a government bailout of Boeing, whose commercial
aircraft sales slumped after the September 2001 hijack attacks.
The documents contain no "smoking guns," congressional sources
say, but they show a close relationship between Boeing and Air
Force officials, including Air Force Secretary James Roche, as
well as details of a rival bid by Airbus SA.
(Reuters 05:11 PM ET 08/30/2003)

Mo
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Critics of a $22.4 billion Air Force proposal to lease, then buy,
100 Boeing 767s as refueling tankers plan to raise financing and
cost concerns at a Senate hearing on Wednesday in a final bid to
block the deal. Defense analysts predict tough questions in the
Senate Commerce Committee and other hearings this week, but say
the need to replace the Air Force's KC-135 tankers, which are on
average 43 years old, will ultimately win the votes needed for
approval. Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, chairman of the
Commerce Committee, blasts the deal as a government bailout of
BOEING CO., whose commercial aircraft sales slumped after the
September 2001 hijack attacks. The Congressional Budget Office,
the General Accounting Office and several government watchdog
groups are also skeptical of the deal, which has already won
needed approval from three of four congressional committees.
(Reuters 05:06 PM ET 09/02/2003)

Mo
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====================================== ==========================


On Mon, 01 Sep 2003 16:12:34 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


BOEING CO. rejected published reports that it might have obtained
rival bidder Airbus SAS's proprietary information while
negotiating a proposed $22.5 billion refueling tanker
lease-purchase agreement with the U.S. Air Force. "Boeing
believes we did not receive any proprietary information from
any official on any subject throughout the entire tanker
lease-negotiation process," said Doug Kennett, a spokesman for
the company. Earlier in the day, the Seattle
Post-Intelligencer, citing an unnamed source, reported what it
called new allegations that a senior Air Force official had
"provided Boeing with proprietary information" about Airbus's
offer to supply its own aircraft and modify them for the
refueling mission. The French-German aerospace firm that
controls Airbus said its response to the U.S. Air Force's
original request for tanker bids was "proprietary in nature and
was furnished to the Air Force in confidence."
(Reuters 01:31 PM ET 08/29/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=859...a&s=rb0308 29

===================================== ===========================


On Mon, 01 Sep 2003 15:07:06 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :



-------------------------------------------------------------------
AVflash Volume 9, Number 36a September 1, 2003
-------------------------------------------------------------------

BOEING TO FACE SENATE HEARING ON TANKER LEASE
Boeing is under scrutiny, and the heat is about to intensify on
Wednesday, when a hearing will be held by the Senate Commerce
Committee about the planemaker's $21-billion leasing deal with the
U.S. Air Force for 100 B767 aerial refueling tankers. A report issued
last week by the Congressional Budget Office concluded that "the
proposed transaction would essentially be a purchase of the tankers by
the federal government but at a cost greater than would be incurred
under the normal appropriation and procurement process." The Seattle
Post-Intelligencer reported Friday that Boeing may have had improper
access to information about Airbus's competing proposal for the tanker
deal. Boeing denied that allegation. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a
longtime vocal critic of the lease -- which he has termed "corporate
welfare" for Boeing -- will preside over the hearing. Boeing has
already been in trouble for "industrial espionage" this summer.
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#185597



On Wed, 27 Aug 2003 16:15:04 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The U.S. Congressional Budget Office said the U.S. Air Force's
plan to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767s as refueling tankers will
cost $1.3 billion to $2 billion more than an outright purchase.
The congressional agency said the proposed lease also failed to
meet four out of six conditions set for government leases by
the White House Office of Management and Budget. In a report
published on its web site, CBO said on average, the Air Force
would spent $161 million for each new refueling tanker in 2002
dollars, compared to a cost of $131 million for an outright
purchase. Two Senate committee plan hearings on the deal next
week. The Air Force has said the deal would be about $150
million more costly than a purchase, but say leasing is
preferable since it would allow the military to begin replacing
its aging fleet of KC-135 refueling tanker far sooner.
(Reuters 04:27 PM ET 08/26/2003)

Mo
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On Tue, 29 Jul 2003 14:37:39 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :



A key panel in the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday
approved Air Force plans to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767 refueling
tankers, saying the lease would tie up less money in coming
years than a purchase. "(The tanker leasing proposal) allows us
to replace the aging fleet more quickly, while retaining an
essential combat capability over the next several decades,"
Rep. Duncan Hunter, chair of the House Armed Services
Committee, said in a statement late on Friday. "For this
reason, I am endorsing the proposal by the Secretary of Defense
to lease 100 KC-767 aerial refueling tankers from the Boeing
Corporation. The required notification will be sent this
evening."
(Reuters 01:58 AM ET 07/26/2003)

Mo
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================================== ==============================

On Fri, 25 Jul 2003 10:51:58 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The General Accounting Office raised questions about U.S. Air
Force plans to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767 refueling tankers,
saying the purchase cost of the planes after the 6-year lease
was higher than that reported by the military. GAO's $173.5
million per plane price is substantially higher than the $138.4
million -- $131 million plus $7.4 million for financing costs --
cited by the Air Force, said Neal Curtin, director of defense
capabilities for the congressional investigative agency. Curtin
told the House Armed Services Committee he also had concerns
about the "special purpose entity" created to own the aircraft
and lease them to the Air Force. The Air Force has already won
the approval of the House and Senate Appropriations committees,
and says it hopes to move forward on the deal by September.
(Reuters 10:51 AM ET 07/23/2003)

Mo
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On Tue, 15 Jul 2003 10:02:11 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

BOEING CO. said a controversial plan to lease 100 tanker aircraft
to the U.S. Air Force would offer good value and speed badly
needed planes into service. An Air Force analysis delivered to
Congress last Friday showed leasing could cost as much as $1.9
billion more than a straight purchase, more than 10% of the
proposed $17.2 billion deal, which would include an option to
buy for another $4 billion. Critics including Republican Sen.
John McCain of Arizona have blasted the deal as a
taxpayer-funded handout to Boeing, which has been badly hurt by
a slump in orders for its commercial jets since the Sept. 11,
2001 hijack attacks. But Air Force and Boeing officials argue
that the tanker fleet, with an average age of 43 years,
urgently needs an upgrade, saying the maintenance savings from
the 100 proposed new aircraft would be worth $5 billion.
(Reuters 03:24 PM ET 07/14/2003)

Mo
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================================ ================================


On Mon, 07 Jul 2003 10:19:06 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :



-------------------------------------------------------------------
AVflash Volume 9, Number 28a July 7, 2003
-------------------------------------------------------------------

BOEING GETS AID FUNDS?...
It's the U.S.'s largest exporter and by far its largest aerospace
company, so when Boeing stamps its feet, the ground shakes under most
of us. Lately the Chicago-headquartered manufacturer has been
attracting the attention of critics who claim Boeing is drawing too
much from the government trough. The Citizens Against Government Waste
(CAGW) has formally asked the House Armed Services Subcommittee to
oppose a $21 billion deal for Boeing to lease 100 767 aerial tankers
to the Air Force. The CAGW claims upgrading the existing fleet of 127
707-based KC-135s would cost $3.8 billion and it also points out that
after leasing the 767s for 10 years the planes go back to Boeing. The
company is also (according to some) seeing some extremely generous
offers from states and towns as it dangles the carrot of 1,000 jobs to
be won by the location that will build its new 7E7 Dreamliner.
http://www.avweb.com/newswire/9_28a/...85269-1.html#2
------------------------------------------------------------------



On Thu, 26 Jun 2003 01:07:00 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The Pentagon is working on an amendment to the proposed fiscal
2004 defense budget as a result of its plan to lease 100 BOEING
CO. 767s as refueling tankers, a top Air Force official said
Tuesday. Air Force Lt. Gen. Michael Zettler, deputy chief of
staff for installations and logistics, gave no details about
the amount of the request when he testified to the House Armed
Forces Committee's subcommittee on projection forces. The
hearing was the first of several expected on the controversial
proposed $16 billion lease agreement aimed at starting to
replace the Air Force's fleet of 543 KC-135 refueling tankers,
which average 42 years in age.
(Reuters 06:50 PM ET 06/24/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 18 Jun 2003 20:15:49 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Sen. John McCain, who has called a U.S. military contract with
BOEING CO. a "rip-off," sent a letter to Boeing Chief Executive
Philip Condit requesting documents related to the deal, The Wall
Street Journal reported. McCain, the chair of the U.S. Senate's
Commerce Committee, is seeking all communication between Boeing
and government officials related to the lease, as well as
documents from Boeing's interactions with commercial and
foreign government customers. A representative of Boeing could
not immediately be reached for comment, but a spokesman told
the Journal that Boeing received the letter and planned a
response. Critics of the deal have called on U.S. lawmakers to
delay approval of a $16 billion deal in which the Air Force
will lease planes from Boeing to replace its aging fleet of
refueling aircraft.
(Reuters 05:53 AM ET 06/17/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=829...a&s=rb0306 17



On Thu, 12 Jun 2003 13:33:18 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Seven independent groups blasted a $16 billion BOEING CO. lease
deal with the Air Force as "a profligate waste of taxpayer
dollars" and said lawmakers should delay its approval until a
criminal investigation into another Boeing contract is
completed. Boeing, anticipating the letter, on Monday bought
full-page advertisements in major U.S. newspapers, admitting
its employees acted improperly during a fierce competition with
LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP. for a $2 billion rocket deal. But Boeing
Chairman and Chief Executive Phil Condit said the company had
taken appropriate action after it learned of the errors and
would not tolerate unethical behavior. The Project on
Government Oversight, which also signed the letter, rejected
Condit's statement and said it had documented 36 cases of
misconduct or alleged misconduct by Boeing workers between 1990
and 2002, resulting in about $348 million in fines or penalties,
restitution and settlement fees.
(Reuters 01:00 AM ET 06/10/2003)

Mo
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On Thu, 29 May 2003 13:11:07 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


U.S. senators will hold a hearing in early June on a $16 billion
plan for BOEING CO. to lease 100 modified 767 jets to the Air
Force, but congressional aides and defense experts did not
expect the deal to run into last-minute problems on Capitol
Hill. Despite the Bush administration's approval of the lease,
defense experts said they did not expect it to be the harbinger
of a new Pentagon preference for leasing military equipment.
"It's going to sail through Congress," said Loren Thompson,
head of the Virginia-based Lexington Institute. "I don't see it
being held up. The Air Force wants it, the administration wants
it and some very key people in both houses of Congress want it."
(Reuters 05:19 PM ET 05/27/2003)

Mo
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On Sun, 25 May 2003 09:49:28 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


The White House budget office said that scant headway had been
made as far as it was concerned toward a proposed
multibillion-dollar Air Force tanker-lease deal with BOEING CO.
despite a string of high-level meetings. "OMB (Office of
Management and Budget) doesn't see a lot of progress since last
week," said spokesman Trent Duffy. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul
Wolfowitz discussed a revised proposal Tuesday night with both
the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer, Edward Aldridge, and Air
Force secretary James Roche. Wolfowitz is "taking the proposed
tanker lease under advisement," Cheryl Irwin, a Pentagon
spokeswoman, said. She said she did not know how long a
decision might take. The deal has been under discussion since
early last year.
(Reuters 06:53 PM ET 05/21/2003)

Mo
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Top Pentagon officials late on Tuesday began reviewing the Air
Force's plans to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767s as refueling tankers
after the company further lowered its price, sources familiar
with the agreement said. After nonstop negotiations, Boeing had
agreed to lower the price for each of the modified 767-200ER
planes below the figure of $136 million reported last week. The
price of the overall lease deal -- which critics have blasted as
corporate welfare for a company hard hit by a slump in
commercial sales -- was now below $17 billion, including the
terms of the 6-year lease and an Air Force purchase at the end
of the lease, the sources said. The initial deal called for the
Air Force to pay $17 billion for the lease, and $4 billion for
purchase at the end.
(Reuters 05:35 PM ET 05/20/2003)

Mo
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On Tue, 13 May 2003 02:14:28 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


BOEING CO. has agreed to reduce by 6% the price of a multibillion
deal to lease 100 767 aircraft to the Air Force as refueling
tankers, defense officials said. The officials, who asked not
to be named, said Boeing officials had agreed to trim the price
of each 767-ER200 aircraft by $9 million to about $141 million
each. The officials said a decision on the deal -- which has
been in the works for over 18 months -- could come soon. But
they said defense officials were at pains to review the
agreement very carefully, since it marked the first time the
U.S. military would lease -- rather than buy -- such a large
number of aircraft. The lease had been expected to cost $17
billion over 6 years, with the Air Force to pay an additional
$4 billion to buy the planes at the end of the term.
(Reuters 02:01 PM ET 05/12/2003)

Mo
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On Fri, 09 May 2003 01:13:04 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:

The Defense Department still has issues to resolve before
endorsing a multibillion dollar U.S. Air Force proposal to
lease 100 BOEING CO. 767s as refueling tankers, the prime
congressional mover behind the plan said Wednesday. "I'm
talking to all parties, trying to move this thing forward --
and we're still not quite there yet," said Rep. Norm Dicks, the
Washington Democrat who spearheaded the law authorizing the
unusual leasing arrangement. The Air Force and Boeing have been
working on the proposed lease for more than a year. Their
tentative deal involved a $17 billion lease over 6 years, with
an option to purchase the aircraft for another $4 billion at
the end of the lease. By some accounts, the Defense Department
had been expected to sign off any day now following a fresh
round of meetings on Friday and over the weekend that
reportedly lowered the cost to the Air Force.
(Reuters 05:39 PM ET 05/07/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=812...a&s=rb0305 07

----------------------------------------------------------------


On Wed, 07 May 2003 17:40:54 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:



Pentagon lawyers are taking a final look at a proposed
multibillion Air Force lease of 100 BOEING CO. 767 jets as
refueling tankers and the deal could be approved later Tuesday,
defense officials said. But sources familiar with the
negotiations warned the deal -- which critics blast as a
corporate handout to Boeing -- has been in the works for more
than 18 months and last-minute issues have delayed its approval
more than once. Negotiators from Chicago-based Boeing, the Air
Force and the Office of the Secretary of Defense succeeded over
the weekend in narrowing the differences between the cost of the
deal as estimated by the Air Force and the independent Institute
for Defense Analyses, the officials said. Under the terms of the
original deal, the Air Force would spend $17 billion to lease
the 100 planes for 6 years, paying an additional $4 billion to
buy them at the end of the term.
(Reuters 12:04 PM ET 05/06/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=811...a&s=rb0305 06

======================= =========================================

On Sat, 03 May 2003 04:38:27 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:



BOEING CO. said its plan to lease 100 767 commercial jets to the
U.S. Air Force as refueling tankers could generate as much as
$2.8 billion in support revenues over the projected life of the
proposed $17 billion lease. John Sams, the Boeing official who
negotiated the deal with the air force, said each aircraft was
projected to spin off $4.8 million a year during the projected
6-year lease, assuming 750 hours of flying time. This figure
would include all spare parts, training and simulators, the
company said, and total $28.8 million per tanker over the 6
years. If the leases were extended, Boeing's take would rise
correspondingly. Under a tentative deal awaiting U.S. Defense
Department's approval, the air force would have an option to
buy the modified 767s at the end of the lease for a combined $4
billion.
(Reuters 11:46 PM ET 05/01/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=810...a&s=rb0305 01

====================== ==========================================

On Wed, 23 Apr 2003 00:39:24 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:



Top Pentagon and White House officials on May 2 will revisit a
controversial $17 billion plan for the Air Force to lease 100
BOEING CO. 767 jets as refueling tankers, sources familiar with
the matter said on Monday. Boeing and Air Force officials have
been pressing for months to win approval for the unique leasing
arrangement that would also give the Air Force the option to buy
the jets for $4 billion at the end of the lease. The deal is
complicated because the government generally buys rather than
leases equipment like tankers. It has also sparked criticism
from some lawmakers, the Office of Management and Budget and
independent watchdog agencies.
(Reuters 05:34 PM ET 04/21/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=804...a&s=rb0304 21

===================== ===========================================

On Mon, 14 Apr 2003 18:24:19 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


BOEING CO.'s $17 billion plan to lease 100 of its 767 jets to the
U.S. Air Force as refueling tankers faces delay after U.S.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld sought information on
purchasing some of the planes, sources familiar with the matter
said. Also being informally examined is how the price per plane
could drop if another 80 to 100 of the tankers were to be
ordered, the sources said. Boeing and Air Force officials have
been hoping for months to get final clearance to proceed with
the unique leasing arrangement that would also give the Air
Force the option to buy the jets for $4 billion at the end of
the lease. Pentagon spokesman Glenn Flood dismissed any talk of
more than 100 aircraft. "The only plan is for 100. Any increase
above 100 would have to be approved by Congress and the White
House," he said.
(Reuters 05:06 PM ET 04/10/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=800...a&s=rb0304 10


On Tue, 11 Mar 2003 01:13:00 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is to review a $21 billion Air
Force plan to lease modified 767 BOEING CO. tankers that has
come under fire for its cost and financing, according to
sources familiar with the deal. Defense Undersecretary Edward
"Pete" Aldridge and Pentagon Comptroller Dov Zakheim, who make
up a panel that reviews leasing arrangements like the proposed
Boeing deal, are due to brief Rumsfeld. He was not expected to
approve or reject the deal at Monday's meeting, although
sources close to the negotiations said they expected him to
make a decision soon. Under the plan, the Air Force would pay
$17 billion to lease 100 planes to start replacing the
service's fleet of 40-year-old KC-135 tankers. Financial
service companies would set up a "special purpose entity" to
float bonds to buy the tankers from Boeing, and lease them to
the military.
(Reuters 05:33 PM ET 03/07/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=785...a&s=rb0303 07

On Thu, 13 Feb 2003 19:14:37 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
fjrn4vkjedt414f5o8 :


BOEING CO. expects a U.S. decision in the next 2 weeks on a
$17-billion tanker lease contract, a senior company official
said, adding that sales to the UK and others were also under
discussion. The world's largest aircraft maker aims to supply
100 tanker versions of its 767 commercial airliner to replace
the U.S. Air Force's ageing fleet of KC-135 tankers. "I'm
certain we'll have closure on it in the next two weeks," George
Muellner, Boeing senior VP for Air Force systems, told defense
reporters in London. "We've had dialogue with three or four
other countries, other than Italy and Japan," Muellner said.
Muellner said Japan had signed a deal this month and Australia
was interested. Italy signed a deal for four 767-based tankers
last month.
(Reuters 01:55 PM ET 01/29/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=768...a&s=rb0301 29


On Mon, 10 Feb 2003 03:57:25 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
4n8e4v8av75ot2gfl :


Top Pentagon officials aim to decide next week whether to allow
the Air Force to lease 100 modified 767 BOEING CO. tankers to
replace its ageing fleet, Defense Undersecretary Edward
Aldridge said. "It's hard ... It's a major investment,"
Aldridge said of the controversial $17 billion deal, which
would give the Air Force up to 12 new tankers in 2006 and all
100 by 2011. For an additional $4 billion the Air Force would
be able to purchase the jets outright at the end of the lease,
sources familiar with the deal have said. Aldridge, the
Pentagon's chief weapons buyer, favors innovative and flexible
approaches to defense procurement, and his office has
championed streamlined acquisitions rules aimed at getting
weapons to the services more quickly.
(Reuters 03:42 PM ET 02/07/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=773...a&s=rb0302 07

On Wed, 15 Jan 2003 01:12:47 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
d7d92v8q5sdkupes :


The U.S. Air Force hopes to win approval in Q1 2003 for a
controversial contract to lease 100 767 commercial jets from
BOEING CO., sources familiar with the discussions said on
Monday. The $17 billion lease contract - aimed at replacing the
Air Force's aging fleet of KC-135 tankers -- has been in the
works for over a year and still requires approval by top
Pentagon officials and U.S. lawmakers, who raised questions
last year about the costs of an earlier version of the
contract. The deal now under discussion would give the Air
Force 11 to 12 new tankers in 2006, with all 100 to be
delivered by 2011. For an additional $4 billion, the Air Force
will be able to purchase the jets outright at the end of the
lease, according to sources familiar with the deal.
(Reuters 06:22 PM ET 01/13/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=759...a&s=rb0301 13

----------

On Sun, 17 Nov 2002 00:43:37 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
ifpdtuovlha5l2f :


BOEING CO. said it no longer expected to wrap up as early as next
month a proposed deal, valued at as much as $18 billion, to
lease 100 aerial refueling tankers to the U.S. Air Force.
Instead, it may take until early next year to reach agreement
with the Air Force, partly because of a new Congress taking
office in January, said Jim Albaugh, president and chief
executive of Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems unit. "We're
in final negotiations with the customer," he told reporters at
a briefing on the company's scheduled first launch of its Delta
4 rocket.
(Reuters 12:52 PM ET 11/14/2002)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=737...a&s=rb0211 14

=============== =================================================


On Sun, 10 Nov 2002 12:08:17 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
dvissu4135etdu :


BOEING CO. said its proposal to lease 100 aerial refueling
tankers would cost the U.S. Air Force about $17 billion, some
$10 billion less than previously estimated, with an option to
purchase the aircraft for another $4 billion. The current
estimate must still be scrutinized by the Pentagon's Cost
Analysis Improvement Group, but if accurate, it could ease
concern in Congress and at the White House over the initial
price tag of $26 billion to $28 billion. "It will turn out to
be more like the $17 to $18 billion we are talking about,"
Boeing's VP for airlift and tanker programs Howard Chambers
told Reuters by telephone. "Over the last six months we have
gotten more clarity."
(Reuters 03:08 PM ET 11/07/2002)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=734...a&s=rb0211 07

----------------------------------------------------------------

On Wed, 06 Nov 2002 15:26:33 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
i4disug2gpmuf :



BOEING CO., still negotiating with the U.S. government, hopes to
close a key deal to lease modified 767 jetliners as refueling
tankers to the U.S. Air Force by year-end, a spokesman said.
The price under discussion is now $17 billion for 100 refueling
tankers, down from the originally estimated $26 billion that
failed to win approval in Washington, The Wall Street Journal
reported. Boeing, the second largest U.S. military contractor,
had hoped to close the deal long ago but has been thwarted by
concerns over price and the value of buying versus leasing. At
one point, rival airplane manufacturer Airbus of Europe was
also trying to win the deal.
(Reuters 11:42 AM ET 11/05/2002)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=732...a&s=rb0211 05




On Wed, 04 Sep 2002 01:41:34 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
d5panukhiq14 :



GENERAL DYNAMICS CORP. said the U.S. Navy had given it and BOEING
CO. 30 days to pay $2.3 billion to settle an 11-year legal
battle over the Pentagon's abrupt cancellation of the Navy's
A-12 fighter jet. "General Dynamics regards this demand as an
unseemly negotiating tactic, and an apparent effort to gain
advantage during settlement talks," the company said, noting
that it would seek an injunction in federal court if the
settlement talks failed to reach a result before the 30-day
deadline. General Dynamics, Boeing and the Navy were in intense
discussion s this summer to settle the matter, with one proposal
calling for the companies to provide goods and services to the
Navy valued at more than $2.5 billion, including discounts on
F-18E/F fighter jets it plans to buy in the future.
(Reuters 03:19 PM ET 09/03/2002)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=699...a&s=rb0209 03

============ ================================================== ==


On Thu, 08 Aug 2002 14:39:41 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
fj05lu8e0tt :



Officials at the U.S. Air Force and aircraft manufacturer BOEING
CO. said on Tuesday they were still hammering out an agreement
to lease 100 commercial Boeing 767s and convert them to aerial
refueling tankers, despite new White House criticism of the
proposed deal. White House Budget Director Mitchell Daniels
said in a recent letter he would not support any proposal that
cost taxpayers more than an outright purchase. "The Air Force
and Boeing are still in negotiations," said Air Force
spokeswom an Capt. Jessica Smith, noting the current fleet of
545 KC-135 tankers had an average age of 41 years. "We're
working to find the best deal for the taxpayers."
(Reuters 05:53 PM ET 08/06/2002)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=687...a&s=rb0208 06

----------------------------------------------------------------

On Thu, 18 Jul 2002 17:19:32 GMT, "W. D. Allen"
ballensr@a delphia.net (W. D. Allen) wrote in Message ID
EMCZ8.6962 :

More like an Air Farce, not a Boeing, boondoggle! Can't sell something to a
customer when they do not want it!! Get it right or forget it!

WDA

end

"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
news:8j8cj ...

BOEING CO. CFO Mike Sears said the aerospace company expects to
sign a deal to lease air refueling tankers to the U.S. Air
Force by the end of summer. Congress authorized the Air Force
in December to negotiate a leasing deal with Boeing for 100
converted 767s to replace some aging KC-135 tankers. White
House and congressional budget experts had said it would be
cheaper to buy new planes or refurbish the old tankers than
sign a 10-year lease with an estimated cost of $26 billion to
$37 billion.
(Reuters 10:44 AM ET 07/17/2002)

Mo

http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=674...a&s=rb0207 17


On Fri, 17 May 2002 03:34:14 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
:

----------------------------------------------------------------
Boeing Co (BA) (45.00 +0.45)

Replacing the oldest U.S. refueling aircraft remains an Air Force
priority, the service's secretary and chief of staff told
Congress Wednesday amid controversy over a proposed lease of
commercial aircraft from BOEING CO. The Air Force said concern
about the 43-year-old KC-135Es in its fleet had been heightened
by the increased pace of aerial refueling after the Sept. 11
attacks. Air Force Secretary James Roche rejected suggestions
that the Air Force could get by with its current refueling
fleet for 15 years or more. Replacement needs to start as soon
as possible, the Air Force said in a separate letter replying
to criticism of the proposed lease deal.
(Reuters 04:34 PM ET 05/15/2002)

Mo

http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=643...a&s=rb0205 15
----------------------------------------------------------------


On Tue, 14 May 2002 00:55:42 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
:

----------------------------------------------------------------
Boeing Co (BA) (44.28 +0.65)

The Senate Armed Services Committee moved on Friday to boost
congressional oversight of a possible $26 billion Air Force
deal to lease BOEING CO. wide-body jets and turn them into
refueling tankers. Sen. John McCain said he was clearing the
way for public hearings on what he has described as a potential
taxpayer "rip-off." A measure adopted by the panel would force
the secretary of the Air Force to get specific funding for any
lease of Boeing 767 tankers -- a process that could delay any
deal to the next budget cycle if enacted into law.
(Reuters 05:15 PM ET 05/10/2002)

Mo

http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=641...1a&s=rb0205 1
0



On Thu, 09 May 2002 15:59:30 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
:


Boeing Co (BA) (44.41 +1.27)

Plans for the U.S. Air Force to lease BOEING CO. 767 commercial
aircraft as aerial refueling tankers is an expensive solution
that could actually cut overall fuel capacity, according to a
White House analysis obtained on Tuesday. Office of Management
and Budget Director Mitch Daniels said leasing the 100 767s to
start replacing a 40-year-old fleet of KC-135 tankers would
cost up to $26 billion and result in a slightly smaller overall
fuel capacity. A $3.2 billion upgrade of 126 KC-135s would
increase fleet capacity by a similar amount but the Air Force
had not chosen this route, Daniels said in a letter to leasing
critic, Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain.
(Reuters 07:52 PM ET 05/07/2002)

Mo

http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=639...0925a&s=rb0205
07

On 18 Apr 2002 22:00:27 -0700, (Blain Shinno) (Blain
Shinno) wrote in Message ID
m:

Boeing expects to begin delivering aerial refueling tankers
based on its 767 wide-body jetliner, including some for Italian
and Japanese forces, by late 2004, with some 100 tankers for the
U.S. Air Force rolling off the line beginning in 2005.

I wonder how many tankers will be delivered each year. Seems a little
long to wait for leased tankers. I wonder when all of them will be
delivered? For $26 billion the USAF better have the option of buying
the tankers for $1 at the end of the lease. And how does the lease
impact the future buy of tankers? When will 767 derivatives start
rolling off the line? Following the delivery of leased tankers, or
after? How is that going to impact the budget?



  #23  
Old October 31st 03, 10:14 PM
Larry Dighera
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said he would "dearly love"
Congress to strike a deal that would let the Air Force acquire
new BOEING CO. 767s as refueling planes. He seemed to signal
acceptance of a scaled-back lease proposed by the Senate Armed
Services Committee, alone among four congressional oversight
panels to spurn the original plan, valued at more than $22
billion, to lease then buy 100 planes. "Political compromise is
what we do when the marbles have been divided and it's to be
expected," Rumsfeld told reporters at the Pentagon. The Senate
panel has proposed acquiring up to 100 planes by leasing 20 and
buying the rest -- a compromise formula designed to save
billions.
(Reuters 04:28 PM ET 10/30/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=883...a&s=rb0310 30

================================================== ==============
A study released on Tuesday raises questions about a U.S. Air
Force proposal to give BOEING CO. a $5.3 billion contract to
maintain 100 767 refueling tankers, the latest congressional
report to criticize the multibillion-dollar lease proposal.
Sen. John McCain, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee and
a vocal critic of the $24.3 billion lease and buy deal, released
the Congressional Research Service report challenging the Air
Force's assertion that Boeing is "uniquely qualified" to
provide initial maintenance support. CRS said many other
companies routinely serviced 767s, and Boeing was not "the
only, or even the largest, organization capable of handling the
maintenance needs of the 767." Air Force Secretary James Roche
told the Senate Armed Services Committee in a letter dated Oct.
9 that it made sense to give the maintenance contract to Boeing
since much of the 767 engineering data was proprietary. But CRS
said much of this data could be licensed to a third party to
handle maintenance.
(Reuters 06:57 PM ET 10/28/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=882...a&s=rb0310 28

----------------------------------------------------------------

On Tue, 28 Oct 2003 03:44:41 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Bad blood between the U.S. Congress and the Pentagon has taken a
toll on BOEING CO.'s multibillion-dollar drive to lease
jetliners to the Air Force as refueling planes, congressional
officials and private analysts said on Friday. The Boeing issue
laid bare growing strains between Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld and his top lieutenants, on the one hand, and the two
most powerful Republicans on the Senate Armed Services
Committee, on the other. Among other things, the chill reflects
pique at what officials on both sides of the aisle deem
Rumsfeld's sometimes-dismissive approach to Congress, for
instance on the situation in post-war Iraq. But it also
reflects perceived slights to Armed Services Committee Chairman
John Warner of Virginia, Congress's top overseer of the Defense
Department, and the panel's second-ranking Republican, John
McCain of Arizona.
(Reuters 06:20 PM ET 10/24/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=881...a&s=rb0310 24

================================================= ===============


The White House budget office discounted Thursday a key senator's
request to "revisit" its endorsement of a multibillion-dollar
Air Force plan to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767s as refueling
planes. The Office of Management and Budget will review Senate
Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain's written request sent
Wednesday, said a spokesman. President Bush said on Sept. 16
that he backed the proposed lease to start replacing aging
KC-135 tankers. The Air Force says the lease would give it
needed capability sooner than it could buy outright without
pinching other combat priorities. McCain has denounced the
proposed lease, designed to lead to purchases, as a bonanza for
Boeing and a bad deal for taxpayers that does not comply with
the fiscal 2002 legislation that authorized it.
(Reuters 05:00 PM ET 10/23/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=880...a&s=rb0310 23

================================================= ===============


The Senate Commerce Committee plans another hearing next week on
a controversial multibillion-dollar Air Force proposal to lease
100 BOEING CO. 767 tankers, as the Senate Armed Services
Committee continues weigh its options, including approving a
scaled-down lease. The armed services panel, chaired by
Virginia Republican Sen. John Warner, is the last of four
committees that must approve the lease deal -- which the Air
Force says it needs to begin replacing its fleet of aging
midair refueling tankers without incurring significant upfront
funding costs. Warner is under considerable political pressure
to approve the lease deal, but aides said the latest reports
only underscored his concerns about the higher cost of leasing.
(Reuters 06:49 PM ET 10/21/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=878...a&s=rb0310 21

----------------------------------------------------------------

On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 01:04:49 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The U.S. Air Force urged lawmakers to approve its plan to lease
100 BOEING CO. 767 refueling planes despite three new
congressional reports poking holes in what would be the first
such rental of a major weapons system. "The Air Force is hoping
that the Senate Armed Services Committee will approve our
original proposal to lease 100 tankers," said a spokeswoman,
Major Karen Finn. "The Air Force really needs this capability."
The Armed Services Committee is alone among the four military
oversight panels that has yet to approve the deal, designed to
acquire the tankers without significant upfront funding that
would squeeze other combat priorities. The service defended the
lease a day after the Congressional Budget Office found
taxpayers could reap $6.7 billion in savings with an outright
purchase, which is standard procurement procedure for arms
systems.
(Reuters 04:21 PM ET 10/17/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=877...a&s=rb0310 17

================================================ ================


On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 14:53:26 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

The top Democrat on the House of Representatives' Armed Services
Committee said he was having second thoughts on a $22.4 billion
Air Force plan to lease then buy BOEING Co. refueling planes,
citing studies that have challenged its financial soundness. "I
think it would be useful to bring members up to date on the many
reports and studies that have emerged since our hearings on the
issue," Rep. Ike Skelton of Missouri wrote panel chairman
Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., on Wednesday. Studies by the
Congressional Budget Office, General Accounting Office,
Institute for Defense Analyses and Congressional Research
Service have shown that acquiring the 100 modified Boeing 767
aircraft initially through a lease, as the Air Force hopes to
do, would cost $5.5 billion more than buying them outright.
(Reuters 12:53 PM ET 10/09/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=873...a&s=rb0310 09

----------------------------------------------------------------


The House of Representatives' Appropriations Committee voted to
press ahead with a $22.4 billion proposal to lease then buy
BOEING CO. 737s as Air Force refueling planes. But the move to
lease 100 modified 767s as mid-air tankers starting in 2006 --
identical to a Senate appropriations measure -- highlighted
misgivings about the deal among what appeared to be a growing
number of lawmakers. The panel shot down, 33 to 28, a rival
plan, jokingly introduced by its top Democrat, David Obey of
Wisconsin, that would have earmarked $14 billion to start
buying the aircraft outright rather than leasing them first.
"If you want to save the taxpayers money, the best way is to
buy them now," Obey said in bating colleagues to own up to the
lease's extra costs and exercise what he portrayed as fiscal
responsibility.
(Reuters 03:16 PM ET 10/09/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=873...a&s=rb0310 09

----------------------------------------------------------------


On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 18:16:49 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

New questions emerged about the personal ties between BOEING CO.
and Darleen Druyun, a former top Air Force official who got a
job with the company after helping negotiate a multibillion
dollar deal to lease Boeing 767s as airborne refueling tankers.
The National Legal and Policy Center, a conservative nonprofit
group opposing the lease deal, released public records that
show Druyun agreed to sell her Virginia home to a senior Boeing
attorney while still working for the Air Force as a procurement
official. She had been deputy assistant secretary for Air Force
acquisition and management. The group also said Druyun's
daughter and son-in-law both work for Boeing, a fact confirmed
by the Chicago-based company.
(Reuters 03:18 PM ET 10/07/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=872...a&s=rb0310 07

============================================== ==================

On Sun, 05 Oct 2003 23:33:50 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

The nonpartisan U.S. Congressional Research Service raised new
doubts on Wednesday about a fresh Pentagon push to acquire
BOEING CO. 767 aircraft as midair refueling tankers through a
lease. The research service said the Defense Department's
latest proposal bolstered the case for purchasing the aircraft
outright, rather than leasing them first in a deal valued at
$22.4 billion. Earlier this month the Senate Armed Services
Committee put off what was to have been a final vote on the
lease proposal. Chairman John Warner, a Virginia Republican,
and the committee's top Democrat, Carl Levin of Michigan, asked
the Pentagon for data on leasing no more than 25 Boeing 767s,
down from the 100 sought by the Air Force.
(Reuters 07:46 PM ET 10/01/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=870...a&s=rb0310 01

----------------------------------------------------------------

On Wed, 01 Oct 2003 23:01:27 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Air Force officials on Monday staunchly defended a $22.4 billion
air tanker lease agreement some critics say is a sweetheart
deal for BOEING CO. in the face of tough questions from Senate
aides. Air Force acquisitions chief Marvin Sambur and Lt. Gen.
Michael Zettler, deputy chief of staff for installations and
logistics, met with military legislative aides hoping to pave
the way for approval by the Senate Armed Services Committee of
the plan to lease then buy 100 Boeing 767 tankers. They held a
similar -- and equally contentious -- briefing for Senate
professional staffers on Friday, aides said. Despite the
last-minute push by the Air Force, Senate aides said they did
not expect the Senate Armed Services Committee to vote on the
controversial lease deal this week, putting off any action
until at least mid-October, after a one-week recess. The
committee is the final of four congressional panels to review
the deal. The other three have approved it.
(Reuters 08:08 PM ET 09/29/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=869...a&s=rb0309 29

============================================ ====================


On Fri, 26 Sep 2003 18:47:59 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Senate Armed Services Committee member John McCain, who helped
stall a $22.4 billion Air Force plan to lease then buy BOEING
CO. tankers, rejected as "non-responsive" a modified Defense
Department proposal. The Pentagon still has "not adequately
justified spending what it now acknowledges will be billions of
dollars more to acquire tankers through a lease," McCain, an
Arizona Republican, said in letters to the armed services
panel's leaders. McCain's new qualms could translate into
further delays for the tanker deal -- a plan to lease a major
weapons system for the first time rather than buy it outright.
(Reuters 04:53 PM ET 09/25/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=868...a&s=rb0309 25

=========================================== =====================



The Pentagon's inspector general may issue a subpoena to BOEING
CO. and the U.S. Air Force for all written materials on a $22.4
billion deal to lease then buy 100 Boeing 767 tankers,
congressional and administration sources said on Monday. They
said Inspector General Joseph Schmitz is considering the
unusual move as he investigates possible impropriety in the
lease proposal that critics including U.S. Sen. John McCain
have blasted as a sweetheart deal for Boeing. The Pentagon's
in-house watchdog agency kicked off its investigation based on
documents provided by Boeing to Senate Commerce Committee
Chairman McCain, an Arizona Republican. But investigators,
including an FBI agent, want to see a complete and full record
of documents related to the case, the sources said.
(Reuters 05:40 PM ET 09/22/2003)

Mo
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Boeing Co (BA) (35.15 +0.26)

The Pentagon urged senators to approve a modified $22.4 billion
deal to lease, then buy, 100 BOEING CO. 767 tankers, seeking
authority to buy 26 of the tankers before their 6-year leases
expire to pare total program costs by $1.2 billion. Deputy
Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said buying the 26 tankers
early, between 2008 and 2010, would add $2.4 billion in initial
budget costs while lowering total program costs and allowing the
Air Force to immediately begin modernizing its 43-year-old fleet
of KC-135 tankers. "The optimum approach must balance the total
cost of the program, the additional funds needed ... and the
delivery schedule for the new capability," he told the Senate
Armed Services Committee, the last of four congressional panels
that must vote on the lease deal.
(Reuters 02:53 PM ET 09/23/2003)

Mo
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=========================================== =====================


On Fri, 19 Sep 2003 14:44:14 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The Pentagon's inspector general has told Congress he plans a
formal investigation of possible impropriety involving the U.S.
Air Force's $22.4 billion proposal to lease then buy BOEING 767
aircraft as refueling tankers, a U.S. lawmaker said on
Wednesday. The inspector general, Joseph Schmitz, has concluded
that "sufficient credible information exists to warrant" a
formal investigation, said Sen. John McCain, an Arizona
Republican who has denounced the lease proposal as a sweetheart
deal for Boeing. "Up to now, it appears that the interests of
taxpayers have been subordinated to those of Boeing," McCain
said in disclosing the upgraded probe. In recent weeks, the
Pentagon's in-house watchdog has carried out a preliminary
inquiry into, among other things, whether an Air Force official
gave Boeing proprietary pricing data from Airbus, a rival for
the deal, Congressional staffmembers said.
(Reuters 10:50 PM ET 09/17/2003)

Mo
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President George W. Bush backed a controversial Air Force plan to
lease BOEING 767 aircraft as refueling tankers despite criticism
from Congress, according to an interview. "I do support it," he
said in an interview with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and
other regional newspapers. Senate Armed Services Committee
Chairman John Warner, a Virginia Republican, and Carl Levin of
Michigan, the panel's top Democrat, have asked Defense
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to consider slashing the Air Force
proposal to lease and then buy 100 767s for $22.4 billion. The
senators have suggested leasing no more than 25 767s while
getting the rest of any needed tankers through standard
purchase procedures. Air Force Secretary James Roche said the
Air Force was still working on a lease-to-own deal, a possible
reference to the up to 25 aircraft that Warner and Levin have
suggested.
(Reuters 01:34 PM ET 09/17/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=865...a&s=rb0309 17

========================================== ======================


On Sat, 13 Sep 2003 15:18:18 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Sen. John McCain said that BOEING CO. appeared to have improperly
slanted the Pentagon process that led to its troubled $22.4
billion plan to lease then sell modified refueling tankers to
the Air Force. "To the extent that Boeing did so, its conduct
might have constituted an organizational conflict of interest
or anti-competitive behavior," he said in pressing Joseph
Schmitz, the Defense Department inspector general, to expand an
inquiry into the matter. In a separate letter, McCain, a member
of the Armed Services Committee, called on Defense Secretary
Donald Rumsfeld to provide all records relating to the lease
proposal from both Air Force Secretary James Roche and the
Pentagon's acting chief weapons buyer, Michael Wynne.
(Reuters 08:38 PM ET 09/11/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 10 Sep 2003 19:35:53 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

The U.S. Air Force on Monday said it expected to respond by early
next week to a letter from the Senate Armed Services Committee
proposing a scaled-down lease of 25 BOEING CO. 767s tankers.
"We're in the process of preparing our letter," said Air Force
spokeswoman Gloria Cales. "We should have our response pulled
together later this week or early next week." Cales gave no
details, but Air Force acquisitions chief Marvin Sambur last
week said it would be "significantly more expensive" to lease
fewer airplanes, due to lost volume discounts and the impact of
inflation. Once the Air Force completed its response, it would
go to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for approval, she said.
(Reuters 06:17 PM ET 09/08/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=862...a&s=rb0309 08

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On Sat, 06 Sep 2003 11:43:43 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Sen. John McCain, who has criticized the cost of a U.S. Air Force
proposal to lease BOEING CO. 767s as refueling tankers, said on
Friday he would press Air Force Secretary James Roche and other
top Pentagon officials to hand over all records on the deal.
"We'll be asking for as much information as we can get," McCain
said in a telephone interview, 1 day after the Senate Armed
Services Committee on which he serves delayed an expected vote
on a $22.4 billion lease-to-buy plan.
(Reuters 04:23 PM ET 09/05/2003)

Mo
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======================================= =========================


On Fri, 05 Sep 2003 17:20:17 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

The Pentagon's Inspector General announced a formal investigation
into whether an Air Force official improperly shared data with
BOEING CO., raising new questions about a $22.4 billion Air
Force deal to lease, then buy 100 767 tankers. Sen. John McCain
cited the investigation and once again blasted the proposed
lease deal at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing, while Alaska
Republican Sen. Ted Stevens underscored what he called the
urgency of quickly replacing the Air Force's aging fleet of
KC-135 tankers due to increased wartime use. McCain said
documents provided by Chicago-based Boeing, the Air Force and
the Pentagon which prompted the investigation showed an
"extremely aggressive sales pitch" for the deal.
(Reuters 04:11 PM ET 09/03/2003)

Mo
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Darleen Druyun, a former Air Force official, offered as early as
October 2001 to meet with investors to stress the low risk of a
deal for the Air Force to lease Boeing tankers, a BOEING CO.
memorandum shows. The Pentagon's Inspector General on Wednesday
launched a formal investigation into whether the Air Force
shared proprietary data with Boeing, an inquiry defense
officials said was focused on Druyun, who joined Boeing in
January 2003 after retiring from the Air Force in November
2002. Boeing denies it received any proprietary data during the
negotiations, and Druyun had declined interview requests. The
company insists Druyun has not been involved in the lease
negotiations since joining the company, adhering firmly to
federal rules for former defense officials. Pentagon
investigators will try to determine if Druyun overstepped her
bounds in those discussions, but congressional sources said it
was clear from a series of emails provided to lawmakers by
Boeing that she played a key role early in the Air Force's
negotiations with Boeing.
(Reuters 08:12 PM ET 09/03/2003)

Mo
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Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner said his
panel would not rush to a vote on a controversial Air Force
plan to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767 refueling tankers, which has
been dogged by questions about its cost and propriety. "We owe
an obligation to the taxpayers to very carefully assess this
issue," the Virginia Republican said at the opening of a
hearing into the $22.4 billion Air Force proposal to lease and
then buy 100 aerial tankers. Warner said members of his panel
would hold discussions in a closed hearing after taking
testimony from witnesses before he would schedule a vote.
(Reuters 10:26 AM ET 09/04/2003)

Mo
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The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee has asked Defense
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to look at leasing just one quarter
of the 100 BOEING CO. 767s sought by the Air Force as refueling
tankers, officials said. The committee will postpone a vote on
the Air Force's plan until it gets a Pentagon analysis, the
officials said.
(Reuters 05:05 PM ET 09/04/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 03 Sep 2003 03:45:48 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Dozens of email exchanges among BOEING CO., the Air Force and the
Pentagon released on Saturday raised fresh questions about a
controversial $22.5 billion deal to lease, then buy 100 Boeing
767 tankers. The documents were among more than 8,000 provided
to the Senate Commerce Committee as it investigated a deal its
chairman, Sen. John McCain describes as a "military-industrial
rip-off" and a government bailout of Boeing, whose commercial
aircraft sales slumped after the September 2001 hijack attacks.
The documents contain no "smoking guns," congressional sources
say, but they show a close relationship between Boeing and Air
Force officials, including Air Force Secretary James Roche, as
well as details of a rival bid by Airbus SA.
(Reuters 05:11 PM ET 08/30/2003)

Mo
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Critics of a $22.4 billion Air Force proposal to lease, then buy,
100 Boeing 767s as refueling tankers plan to raise financing and
cost concerns at a Senate hearing on Wednesday in a final bid to
block the deal. Defense analysts predict tough questions in the
Senate Commerce Committee and other hearings this week, but say
the need to replace the Air Force's KC-135 tankers, which are on
average 43 years old, will ultimately win the votes needed for
approval. Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, chairman of the
Commerce Committee, blasts the deal as a government bailout of
BOEING CO., whose commercial aircraft sales slumped after the
September 2001 hijack attacks. The Congressional Budget Office,
the General Accounting Office and several government watchdog
groups are also skeptical of the deal, which has already won
needed approval from three of four congressional committees.
(Reuters 05:06 PM ET 09/02/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=860...a&s=rb0309 02

===================================== ===========================


On Mon, 01 Sep 2003 16:12:34 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


BOEING CO. rejected published reports that it might have obtained
rival bidder Airbus SAS's proprietary information while
negotiating a proposed $22.5 billion refueling tanker
lease-purchase agreement with the U.S. Air Force. "Boeing
believes we did not receive any proprietary information from
any official on any subject throughout the entire tanker
lease-negotiation process," said Doug Kennett, a spokesman for
the company. Earlier in the day, the Seattle
Post-Intelligencer, citing an unnamed source, reported what it
called new allegations that a senior Air Force official had
"provided Boeing with proprietary information" about Airbus's
offer to supply its own aircraft and modify them for the
refueling mission. The French-German aerospace firm that
controls Airbus said its response to the U.S. Air Force's
original request for tanker bids was "proprietary in nature and
was furnished to the Air Force in confidence."
(Reuters 01:31 PM ET 08/29/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=859...a&s=rb0308 29

==================================== ============================


On Mon, 01 Sep 2003 15:07:06 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :



-------------------------------------------------------------------
AVflash Volume 9, Number 36a September 1, 2003
-------------------------------------------------------------------

BOEING TO FACE SENATE HEARING ON TANKER LEASE
Boeing is under scrutiny, and the heat is about to intensify on
Wednesday, when a hearing will be held by the Senate Commerce
Committee about the planemaker's $21-billion leasing deal with the
U.S. Air Force for 100 B767 aerial refueling tankers. A report issued
last week by the Congressional Budget Office concluded that "the
proposed transaction would essentially be a purchase of the tankers by
the federal government but at a cost greater than would be incurred
under the normal appropriation and procurement process." The Seattle
Post-Intelligencer reported Friday that Boeing may have had improper
access to information about Airbus's competing proposal for the tanker
deal. Boeing denied that allegation. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a
longtime vocal critic of the lease -- which he has termed "corporate
welfare" for Boeing -- will preside over the hearing. Boeing has
already been in trouble for "industrial espionage" this summer.
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#185597



On Wed, 27 Aug 2003 16:15:04 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The U.S. Congressional Budget Office said the U.S. Air Force's
plan to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767s as refueling tankers will
cost $1.3 billion to $2 billion more than an outright purchase.
The congressional agency said the proposed lease also failed to
meet four out of six conditions set for government leases by
the White House Office of Management and Budget. In a report
published on its web site, CBO said on average, the Air Force
would spent $161 million for each new refueling tanker in 2002
dollars, compared to a cost of $131 million for an outright
purchase. Two Senate committee plan hearings on the deal next
week. The Air Force has said the deal would be about $150
million more costly than a purchase, but say leasing is
preferable since it would allow the military to begin replacing
its aging fleet of KC-135 refueling tanker far sooner.
(Reuters 04:27 PM ET 08/26/2003)

Mo
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On Tue, 29 Jul 2003 14:37:39 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :



A key panel in the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday
approved Air Force plans to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767 refueling
tankers, saying the lease would tie up less money in coming
years than a purchase. "(The tanker leasing proposal) allows us
to replace the aging fleet more quickly, while retaining an
essential combat capability over the next several decades,"
Rep. Duncan Hunter, chair of the House Armed Services
Committee, said in a statement late on Friday. "For this
reason, I am endorsing the proposal by the Secretary of Defense
to lease 100 KC-767 aerial refueling tankers from the Boeing
Corporation. The required notification will be sent this
evening."
(Reuters 01:58 AM ET 07/26/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=846...a&s=rb0307 26

================================= ===============================

On Fri, 25 Jul 2003 10:51:58 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The General Accounting Office raised questions about U.S. Air
Force plans to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767 refueling tankers,
saying the purchase cost of the planes after the 6-year lease
was higher than that reported by the military. GAO's $173.5
million per plane price is substantially higher than the $138.4
million -- $131 million plus $7.4 million for financing costs --
cited by the Air Force, said Neal Curtin, director of defense
capabilities for the congressional investigative agency. Curtin
told the House Armed Services Committee he also had concerns
about the "special purpose entity" created to own the aircraft
and lease them to the Air Force. The Air Force has already won
the approval of the House and Senate Appropriations committees,
and says it hopes to move forward on the deal by September.
(Reuters 10:51 AM ET 07/23/2003)

Mo
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On Tue, 15 Jul 2003 10:02:11 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

BOEING CO. said a controversial plan to lease 100 tanker aircraft
to the U.S. Air Force would offer good value and speed badly
needed planes into service. An Air Force analysis delivered to
Congress last Friday showed leasing could cost as much as $1.9
billion more than a straight purchase, more than 10% of the
proposed $17.2 billion deal, which would include an option to
buy for another $4 billion. Critics including Republican Sen.
John McCain of Arizona have blasted the deal as a
taxpayer-funded handout to Boeing, which has been badly hurt by
a slump in orders for its commercial jets since the Sept. 11,
2001 hijack attacks. But Air Force and Boeing officials argue
that the tanker fleet, with an average age of 43 years,
urgently needs an upgrade, saying the maintenance savings from
the 100 proposed new aircraft would be worth $5 billion.
(Reuters 03:24 PM ET 07/14/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=840...a&s=rb0307 14

=============================== =================================


On Mon, 07 Jul 2003 10:19:06 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :



-------------------------------------------------------------------
AVflash Volume 9, Number 28a July 7, 2003
-------------------------------------------------------------------

BOEING GETS AID FUNDS?...
It's the U.S.'s largest exporter and by far its largest aerospace
company, so when Boeing stamps its feet, the ground shakes under most
of us. Lately the Chicago-headquartered manufacturer has been
attracting the attention of critics who claim Boeing is drawing too
much from the government trough. The Citizens Against Government Waste
(CAGW) has formally asked the House Armed Services Subcommittee to
oppose a $21 billion deal for Boeing to lease 100 767 aerial tankers
to the Air Force. The CAGW claims upgrading the existing fleet of 127
707-based KC-135s would cost $3.8 billion and it also points out that
after leasing the 767s for 10 years the planes go back to Boeing. The
company is also (according to some) seeing some extremely generous
offers from states and towns as it dangles the carrot of 1,000 jobs to
be won by the location that will build its new 7E7 Dreamliner.
http://www.avweb.com/newswire/9_28a/...85269-1.html#2
------------------------------------------------------------------



On Thu, 26 Jun 2003 01:07:00 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The Pentagon is working on an amendment to the proposed fiscal
2004 defense budget as a result of its plan to lease 100 BOEING
CO. 767s as refueling tankers, a top Air Force official said
Tuesday. Air Force Lt. Gen. Michael Zettler, deputy chief of
staff for installations and logistics, gave no details about
the amount of the request when he testified to the House Armed
Forces Committee's subcommittee on projection forces. The
hearing was the first of several expected on the controversial
proposed $16 billion lease agreement aimed at starting to
replace the Air Force's fleet of 543 KC-135 refueling tankers,
which average 42 years in age.
(Reuters 06:50 PM ET 06/24/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 18 Jun 2003 20:15:49 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Sen. John McCain, who has called a U.S. military contract with
BOEING CO. a "rip-off," sent a letter to Boeing Chief Executive
Philip Condit requesting documents related to the deal, The Wall
Street Journal reported. McCain, the chair of the U.S. Senate's
Commerce Committee, is seeking all communication between Boeing
and government officials related to the lease, as well as
documents from Boeing's interactions with commercial and
foreign government customers. A representative of Boeing could
not immediately be reached for comment, but a spokesman told
the Journal that Boeing received the letter and planned a
response. Critics of the deal have called on U.S. lawmakers to
delay approval of a $16 billion deal in which the Air Force
will lease planes from Boeing to replace its aging fleet of
refueling aircraft.
(Reuters 05:53 AM ET 06/17/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=829...a&s=rb0306 17



On Thu, 12 Jun 2003 13:33:18 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Seven independent groups blasted a $16 billion BOEING CO. lease
deal with the Air Force as "a profligate waste of taxpayer
dollars" and said lawmakers should delay its approval until a
criminal investigation into another Boeing contract is
completed. Boeing, anticipating the letter, on Monday bought
full-page advertisements in major U.S. newspapers, admitting
its employees acted improperly during a fierce competition with
LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP. for a $2 billion rocket deal. But Boeing
Chairman and Chief Executive Phil Condit said the company had
taken appropriate action after it learned of the errors and
would not tolerate unethical behavior. The Project on
Government Oversight, which also signed the letter, rejected
Condit's statement and said it had documented 36 cases of
misconduct or alleged misconduct by Boeing workers between 1990
and 2002, resulting in about $348 million in fines or penalties,
restitution and settlement fees.
(Reuters 01:00 AM ET 06/10/2003)

Mo
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On Thu, 29 May 2003 13:11:07 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


U.S. senators will hold a hearing in early June on a $16 billion
plan for BOEING CO. to lease 100 modified 767 jets to the Air
Force, but congressional aides and defense experts did not
expect the deal to run into last-minute problems on Capitol
Hill. Despite the Bush administration's approval of the lease,
defense experts said they did not expect it to be the harbinger
of a new Pentagon preference for leasing military equipment.
"It's going to sail through Congress," said Loren Thompson,
head of the Virginia-based Lexington Institute. "I don't see it
being held up. The Air Force wants it, the administration wants
it and some very key people in both houses of Congress want it."
(Reuters 05:19 PM ET 05/27/2003)

Mo
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On Sun, 25 May 2003 09:49:28 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


The White House budget office said that scant headway had been
made as far as it was concerned toward a proposed
multibillion-dollar Air Force tanker-lease deal with BOEING CO.
despite a string of high-level meetings. "OMB (Office of
Management and Budget) doesn't see a lot of progress since last
week," said spokesman Trent Duffy. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul
Wolfowitz discussed a revised proposal Tuesday night with both
the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer, Edward Aldridge, and Air
Force secretary James Roche. Wolfowitz is "taking the proposed
tanker lease under advisement," Cheryl Irwin, a Pentagon
spokeswoman, said. She said she did not know how long a
decision might take. The deal has been under discussion since
early last year.
(Reuters 06:53 PM ET 05/21/2003)

Mo
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Top Pentagon officials late on Tuesday began reviewing the Air
Force's plans to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767s as refueling tankers
after the company further lowered its price, sources familiar
with the agreement said. After nonstop negotiations, Boeing had
agreed to lower the price for each of the modified 767-200ER
planes below the figure of $136 million reported last week. The
price of the overall lease deal -- which critics have blasted as
corporate welfare for a company hard hit by a slump in
commercial sales -- was now below $17 billion, including the
terms of the 6-year lease and an Air Force purchase at the end
of the lease, the sources said. The initial deal called for the
Air Force to pay $17 billion for the lease, and $4 billion for
purchase at the end.
(Reuters 05:35 PM ET 05/20/2003)

Mo
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On Tue, 13 May 2003 02:14:28 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


BOEING CO. has agreed to reduce by 6% the price of a multibillion
deal to lease 100 767 aircraft to the Air Force as refueling
tankers, defense officials said. The officials, who asked not
to be named, said Boeing officials had agreed to trim the price
of each 767-ER200 aircraft by $9 million to about $141 million
each. The officials said a decision on the deal -- which has
been in the works for over 18 months -- could come soon. But
they said defense officials were at pains to review the
agreement very carefully, since it marked the first time the
U.S. military would lease -- rather than buy -- such a large
number of aircraft. The lease had been expected to cost $17
billion over 6 years, with the Air Force to pay an additional
$4 billion to buy the planes at the end of the term.
(Reuters 02:01 PM ET 05/12/2003)

Mo
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On Fri, 09 May 2003 01:13:04 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:

The Defense Department still has issues to resolve before
endorsing a multibillion dollar U.S. Air Force proposal to
lease 100 BOEING CO. 767s as refueling tankers, the prime
congressional mover behind the plan said Wednesday. "I'm
talking to all parties, trying to move this thing forward --
and we're still not quite there yet," said Rep. Norm Dicks, the
Washington Democrat who spearheaded the law authorizing the
unusual leasing arrangement. The Air Force and Boeing have been
working on the proposed lease for more than a year. Their
tentative deal involved a $17 billion lease over 6 years, with
an option to purchase the aircraft for another $4 billion at
the end of the lease. By some accounts, the Defense Department
had been expected to sign off any day now following a fresh
round of meetings on Friday and over the weekend that
reportedly lowered the cost to the Air Force.
(Reuters 05:39 PM ET 05/07/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 07 May 2003 17:40:54 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:



Pentagon lawyers are taking a final look at a proposed
multibillion Air Force lease of 100 BOEING CO. 767 jets as
refueling tankers and the deal could be approved later Tuesday,
defense officials said. But sources familiar with the
negotiations warned the deal -- which critics blast as a
corporate handout to Boeing -- has been in the works for more
than 18 months and last-minute issues have delayed its approval
more than once. Negotiators from Chicago-based Boeing, the Air
Force and the Office of the Secretary of Defense succeeded over
the weekend in narrowing the differences between the cost of the
deal as estimated by the Air Force and the independent Institute
for Defense Analyses, the officials said. Under the terms of the
original deal, the Air Force would spend $17 billion to lease
the 100 planes for 6 years, paying an additional $4 billion to
buy them at the end of the term.
(Reuters 12:04 PM ET 05/06/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=811...a&s=rb0305 06

====================== ==========================================

On Sat, 03 May 2003 04:38:27 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:



BOEING CO. said its plan to lease 100 767 commercial jets to the
U.S. Air Force as refueling tankers could generate as much as
$2.8 billion in support revenues over the projected life of the
proposed $17 billion lease. John Sams, the Boeing official who
negotiated the deal with the air force, said each aircraft was
projected to spin off $4.8 million a year during the projected
6-year lease, assuming 750 hours of flying time. This figure
would include all spare parts, training and simulators, the
company said, and total $28.8 million per tanker over the 6
years. If the leases were extended, Boeing's take would rise
correspondingly. Under a tentative deal awaiting U.S. Defense
Department's approval, the air force would have an option to
buy the modified 767s at the end of the lease for a combined $4
billion.
(Reuters 11:46 PM ET 05/01/2003)

Mo
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===================== ===========================================

On Wed, 23 Apr 2003 00:39:24 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:



Top Pentagon and White House officials on May 2 will revisit a
controversial $17 billion plan for the Air Force to lease 100
BOEING CO. 767 jets as refueling tankers, sources familiar with
the matter said on Monday. Boeing and Air Force officials have
been pressing for months to win approval for the unique leasing
arrangement that would also give the Air Force the option to buy
the jets for $4 billion at the end of the lease. The deal is
complicated because the government generally buys rather than
leases equipment like tankers. It has also sparked criticism
from some lawmakers, the Office of Management and Budget and
independent watchdog agencies.
(Reuters 05:34 PM ET 04/21/2003)

Mo
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==================== ============================================

On Mon, 14 Apr 2003 18:24:19 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


BOEING CO.'s $17 billion plan to lease 100 of its 767 jets to the
U.S. Air Force as refueling tankers faces delay after U.S.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld sought information on
purchasing some of the planes, sources familiar with the matter
said. Also being informally examined is how the price per plane
could drop if another 80 to 100 of the tankers were to be
ordered, the sources said. Boeing and Air Force officials have
been hoping for months to get final clearance to proceed with
the unique leasing arrangement that would also give the Air
Force the option to buy the jets for $4 billion at the end of
the lease. Pentagon spokesman Glenn Flood dismissed any talk of
more than 100 aircraft. "The only plan is for 100. Any increase
above 100 would have to be approved by Congress and the White
House," he said.
(Reuters 05:06 PM ET 04/10/2003)

Mo
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On Tue, 11 Mar 2003 01:13:00 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is to review a $21 billion Air
Force plan to lease modified 767 BOEING CO. tankers that has
come under fire for its cost and financing, according to
sources familiar with the deal. Defense Undersecretary Edward
"Pete" Aldridge and Pentagon Comptroller Dov Zakheim, who make
up a panel that reviews leasing arrangements like the proposed
Boeing deal, are due to brief Rumsfeld. He was not expected to
approve or reject the deal at Monday's meeting, although
sources close to the negotiations said they expected him to
make a decision soon. Under the plan, the Air Force would pay
$17 billion to lease 100 planes to start replacing the
service's fleet of 40-year-old KC-135 tankers. Financial
service companies would set up a "special purpose entity" to
float bonds to buy the tankers from Boeing, and lease them to
the military.
(Reuters 05:33 PM ET 03/07/2003)

Mo
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On Thu, 13 Feb 2003 19:14:37 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
fjrn4vkjedt414f5o :


BOEING CO. expects a U.S. decision in the next 2 weeks on a
$17-billion tanker lease contract, a senior company official
said, adding that sales to the UK and others were also under
discussion. The world's largest aircraft maker aims to supply
100 tanker versions of its 767 commercial airliner to replace
the U.S. Air Force's ageing fleet of KC-135 tankers. "I'm
certain we'll have closure on it in the next two weeks," George
Muellner, Boeing senior VP for Air Force systems, told defense
reporters in London. "We've had dialogue with three or four
other countries, other than Italy and Japan," Muellner said.
Muellner said Japan had signed a deal this month and Australia
was interested. Italy signed a deal for four 767-based tankers
last month.
(Reuters 01:55 PM ET 01/29/2003)

Mo
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On Mon, 10 Feb 2003 03:57:25 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
4n8e4v8av75ot2gf :


Top Pentagon officials aim to decide next week whether to allow
the Air Force to lease 100 modified 767 BOEING CO. tankers to
replace its ageing fleet, Defense Undersecretary Edward
Aldridge said. "It's hard ... It's a major investment,"
Aldridge said of the controversial $17 billion deal, which
would give the Air Force up to 12 new tankers in 2006 and all
100 by 2011. For an additional $4 billion the Air Force would
be able to purchase the jets outright at the end of the lease,
sources familiar with the deal have said. Aldridge, the
Pentagon's chief weapons buyer, favors innovative and flexible
approaches to defense procurement, and his office has
championed streamlined acquisitions rules aimed at getting
weapons to the services more quickly.
(Reuters 03:42 PM ET 02/07/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 15 Jan 2003 01:12:47 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
d7d92v8q5sdkupe :


The U.S. Air Force hopes to win approval in Q1 2003 for a
controversial contract to lease 100 767 commercial jets from
BOEING CO., sources familiar with the discussions said on
Monday. The $17 billion lease contract - aimed at replacing the
Air Force's aging fleet of KC-135 tankers -- has been in the
works for over a year and still requires approval by top
Pentagon officials and U.S. lawmakers, who raised questions
last year about the costs of an earlier version of the
contract. The deal now under discussion would give the Air
Force 11 to 12 new tankers in 2006, with all 100 to be
delivered by 2011. For an additional $4 billion, the Air Force
will be able to purchase the jets outright at the end of the
lease, according to sources familiar with the deal.
(Reuters 06:22 PM ET 01/13/2003)

Mo
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----------

On Sun, 17 Nov 2002 00:43:37 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
ifpdtuovlha5l2 :


BOEING CO. said it no longer expected to wrap up as early as next
month a proposed deal, valued at as much as $18 billion, to
lease 100 aerial refueling tankers to the U.S. Air Force.
Instead, it may take until early next year to reach agreement
with the Air Force, partly because of a new Congress taking
office in January, said Jim Albaugh, president and chief
executive of Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems unit. "We're
in final negotiations with the customer," he told reporters at
a briefing on the company's scheduled first launch of its Delta
4 rocket.
(Reuters 12:52 PM ET 11/14/2002)

Mo
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============== ==================================================


On Sun, 10 Nov 2002 12:08:17 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
dvissu4135etd :


BOEING CO. said its proposal to lease 100 aerial refueling
tankers would cost the U.S. Air Force about $17 billion, some
$10 billion less than previously estimated, with an option to
purchase the aircraft for another $4 billion. The current
estimate must still be scrutinized by the Pentagon's Cost
Analysis Improvement Group, but if accurate, it could ease
concern in Congress and at the White House over the initial
price tag of $26 billion to $28 billion. "It will turn out to
be more like the $17 to $18 billion we are talking about,"
Boeing's VP for airlift and tanker programs Howard Chambers
told Reuters by telephone. "Over the last six months we have
gotten more clarity."
(Reuters 03:08 PM ET 11/07/2002)

Mo
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----------------------------------------------------------------

On Wed, 06 Nov 2002 15:26:33 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
i4disug2gpmu :



BOEING CO., still negotiating with the U.S. government, hopes to
close a key deal to lease modified 767 jetliners as refueling
tankers to the U.S. Air Force by year-end, a spokesman said.
The price under discussion is now $17 billion for 100 refueling
tankers, down from the originally estimated $26 billion that
failed to win approval in Washington, The Wall Street Journal
reported. Boeing, the second largest U.S. military contractor,
had hoped to close the deal long ago but has been thwarted by
concerns over price and the value of buying versus leasing. At
one point, rival airplane manufacturer Airbus of Europe was
also trying to win the deal.
(Reuters 11:42 AM ET 11/05/2002)

Mo
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On Wed, 04 Sep 2002 01:41:34 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
d5panukhiq1 :



GENERAL DYNAMICS CORP. said the U.S. Navy had given it and BOEING
CO. 30 days to pay $2.3 billion to settle an 11-year legal
battle over the Pentagon's abrupt cancellation of the Navy's
A-12 fighter jet. "General Dynamics regards this demand as an
unseemly negotiating tactic, and an apparent effort to gain
advantage during settlement talks," the company said, noting
that it would seek an injunction in federal court if the
settlemen t talks failed to reach a result before the 30-day
deadline. General Dynamics, Boeing and the Navy were in intense
discussio ns this summer to settle the matter, with one proposal
calling for the companies to provide goods and services to the
Navy valued at more than $2.5 billion, including discounts on
F-18E/F fighter jets it plans to buy in the future.
(Reuters 03:19 PM ET 09/03/2002)

Mo
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=========== ================================================== ===


On Thu, 08 Aug 2002 14:39:41 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
fj05lu8e0t :



Official s at the U.S. Air Force and aircraft manufacturer BOEING
CO. said on Tuesday they were still hammering out an agreement
to lease 100 commercial Boeing 767s and convert them to aerial
refuelin g tankers, despite new White House criticism of the
proposed deal. White House Budget Director Mitchell Daniels
said in a recent letter he would not support any proposal that
cost taxpayers more than an outright purchase. "The Air Force
and Boeing are still in negotiations," said Air Force
spokeswoma n Capt. Jessica Smith, noting the current fleet of
545 KC-135 tankers had an average age of 41 years. "We're
working to find the best deal for the taxpayers."
(Reuters 05:53 PM ET 08/06/2002)

Mo
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On Thu, 18 Jul 2002 17:19:32 GMT, "W. D. Allen"
ballensr@ adelphia.net (W. D. Allen) wrote in Message ID
EMCZ8.696 :

More like an Air Farce, not a Boeing, boondoggle! Can't sell something to a
custome r when they do not want it!! Get it right or forget it!

WDA

end

"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
news:8j8c ...

BOEING CO. CFO Mike Sears said the aerospace company expects to
sign a deal to lease air refueling tankers to the U.S. Air
Force by the end of summer. Congress authorized the Air Force
in December to negotiate a leasing deal with Boeing for 100
converted 767s to replace some aging KC-135 tankers. White
House and congressional budget experts had said it would be
cheaper to buy new planes or refurbish the old tankers than
sign a 10-year lease with an estimated cost of $26 billion to
$37 billion.
(Reuters 10:44 AM ET 07/17/2002)

Mo

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On Fri, 17 May 2002 03:34:14 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
:

----------------------------------------------------------------
Boeing Co (BA) (45.00 +0.45)

Replacing the oldest U.S. refueling aircraft remains an Air Force
priority, the service's secretary and chief of staff told
Congress Wednesday amid controversy over a proposed lease of
commercial aircraft from BOEING CO. The Air Force said concern
about the 43-year-old KC-135Es in its fleet had been heightened
by the increased pace of aerial refueling after the Sept. 11
attacks. Air Force Secretary James Roche rejected suggestions
that the Air Force could get by with its current refueling
fleet for 15 years or more. Replacement needs to start as soon
as possible, the Air Force said in a separate letter replying
to criticism of the proposed lease deal.
(Reuters 04:34 PM ET 05/15/2002)

Mo

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On Tue, 14 May 2002 00:55:42 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
:

----------------------------------------------------------------
Boeing Co (BA) (44.28 +0.65)

The Senate Armed Services Committee moved on Friday to boost
congressional oversight of a possible $26 billion Air Force
deal to lease BOEING CO. wide-body jets and turn them into
refueling tankers. Sen. John McCain said he was clearing the
way for public hearings on what he has described as a potential
taxpayer "rip-off." A measure adopted by the panel would force
the secretary of the Air Force to get specific funding for any
lease of Boeing 767 tankers -- a process that could delay any
deal to the next budget cycle if enacted into law.
(Reuters 05:15 PM ET 05/10/2002)

Mo

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0



On Thu, 09 May 2002 15:59:30 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
:


Boeing Co (BA) (44.41 +1.27)

Plans for the U.S. Air Force to lease BOEING CO. 767 commercial
aircraft as aerial refueling tankers is an expensive solution
that could actually cut overall fuel capacity, according to a
White House analysis obtained on Tuesday. Office of Management
and Budget Director Mitch Daniels said leasing the 100 767s to
start replacing a 40-year-old fleet of KC-135 tankers would
cost up to $26 billion and result in a slightly smaller overall
fuel capacity. A $3.2 billion upgrade of 126 KC-135s would
increase fleet capacity by a similar amount but the Air Force
had not chosen this route, Daniels said in a letter to leasing
critic, Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain.
(Reuters 07:52 PM ET 05/07/2002)

Mo

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07

On 18 Apr 2002 22:00:27 -0700, (Blain Shinno) (Blain
Shinno) wrote in Message ID
m:

Boeing expects to begin delivering aerial refueling tankers
based on its 767 wide-body jetliner, including some for Italian
and Japanese forces, by late 2004, with some 100 tankers for the
U.S. Air Force rolling off the line beginning in 2005.

I wonder how many tankers will be delivered each year. Seems a little
long to wait for leased tankers. I wonder when all of them will be
delivered? For $26 billion the USAF better have the option of buying
the tankers for $1 at the end of the lease. And how does the lease
impact the future buy of tankers? When will 767 derivatives start
rolling off the line? Following the delivery of leased tankers, or
after? How is that going to impact the budget?



  #24  
Old November 1st 03, 01:56 AM
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Larry Dighera wrote:

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said he would "dearly love"
Congress


LARRY!!...enough already...gee...
--

-Gord.
  #25  
Old November 7th 03, 08:34 PM
Larry Dighera
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


The Pentagon, bowing to critics, said it would lease just 20
planes under a multibillion-dollar plan to acquire 100 BOEING
CO. jetliners for use as refueling tankers, buying the rest
outright. If approved by lawmakers, as now expected, the deal
would mark the first lease, rather than purchase, of a major
weapons system. It has roiled Congress for 2 years over charges
the Air Force was giving Boeing a sweetheart deal at taxpayer
expense. Originally, the Air Force had sought to lease all 100
tankers, derived from Boeing's commercial 767, and then planned
to buy them in a deal costing at least $22.4 billion through
2017. Under the new proposal, the Air Force would start
replacing its KC-135E tanker fleet, which average 43 years old,
with leased KC-767A planes tankers in 2006.
(Reuters 03:16 PM ET 11/06/2003)

Mo
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The White House said a deal is needed quickly that would let the
Air Force acquire new BOEING 767s as refueling planes. "There's
an urgent need to make this happen sooner rather than later,"
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said as congressional
negotiations continue over an original proposal to lease and
then buy 100 planes.
(Reuters 10:17 AM ET 11/06/2003)

Mo
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On Fri, 31 Oct 2003 21:14:48 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said he would "dearly love"
Congress to strike a deal that would let the Air Force acquire
new BOEING CO. 767s as refueling planes. He seemed to signal
acceptance of a scaled-back lease proposed by the Senate Armed
Services Committee, alone among four congressional oversight
panels to spurn the original plan, valued at more than $22
billion, to lease then buy 100 planes. "Political compromise is
what we do when the marbles have been divided and it's to be
expected," Rumsfeld told reporters at the Pentagon. The Senate
panel has proposed acquiring up to 100 planes by leasing 20 and
buying the rest -- a compromise formula designed to save
billions.
(Reuters 04:28 PM ET 10/30/2003)

Mo
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================================================= ===============
A study released on Tuesday raises questions about a U.S. Air
Force proposal to give BOEING CO. a $5.3 billion contract to
maintain 100 767 refueling tankers, the latest congressional
report to criticize the multibillion-dollar lease proposal.
Sen. John McCain, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee and
a vocal critic of the $24.3 billion lease and buy deal, released
the Congressional Research Service report challenging the Air
Force's assertion that Boeing is "uniquely qualified" to
provide initial maintenance support. CRS said many other
companies routinely serviced 767s, and Boeing was not "the
only, or even the largest, organization capable of handling the
maintenance needs of the 767." Air Force Secretary James Roche
told the Senate Armed Services Committee in a letter dated Oct.
9 that it made sense to give the maintenance contract to Boeing
since much of the 767 engineering data was proprietary. But CRS
said much of this data could be licensed to a third party to
handle maintenance.
(Reuters 06:57 PM ET 10/28/2003)

Mo
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On Tue, 28 Oct 2003 03:44:41 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Bad blood between the U.S. Congress and the Pentagon has taken a
toll on BOEING CO.'s multibillion-dollar drive to lease
jetliners to the Air Force as refueling planes, congressional
officials and private analysts said on Friday. The Boeing issue
laid bare growing strains between Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld and his top lieutenants, on the one hand, and the two
most powerful Republicans on the Senate Armed Services
Committee, on the other. Among other things, the chill reflects
pique at what officials on both sides of the aisle deem
Rumsfeld's sometimes-dismissive approach to Congress, for
instance on the situation in post-war Iraq. But it also
reflects perceived slights to Armed Services Committee Chairman
John Warner of Virginia, Congress's top overseer of the Defense
Department, and the panel's second-ranking Republican, John
McCain of Arizona.
(Reuters 06:20 PM ET 10/24/2003)

Mo
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================================================ ================


The White House budget office discounted Thursday a key senator's
request to "revisit" its endorsement of a multibillion-dollar
Air Force plan to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767s as refueling
planes. The Office of Management and Budget will review Senate
Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain's written request sent
Wednesday, said a spokesman. President Bush said on Sept. 16
that he backed the proposed lease to start replacing aging
KC-135 tankers. The Air Force says the lease would give it
needed capability sooner than it could buy outright without
pinching other combat priorities. McCain has denounced the
proposed lease, designed to lead to purchases, as a bonanza for
Boeing and a bad deal for taxpayers that does not comply with
the fiscal 2002 legislation that authorized it.
(Reuters 05:00 PM ET 10/23/2003)

Mo
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================================================ ================


The Senate Commerce Committee plans another hearing next week on
a controversial multibillion-dollar Air Force proposal to lease
100 BOEING CO. 767 tankers, as the Senate Armed Services
Committee continues weigh its options, including approving a
scaled-down lease. The armed services panel, chaired by
Virginia Republican Sen. John Warner, is the last of four
committees that must approve the lease deal -- which the Air
Force says it needs to begin replacing its fleet of aging
midair refueling tankers without incurring significant upfront
funding costs. Warner is under considerable political pressure
to approve the lease deal, but aides said the latest reports
only underscored his concerns about the higher cost of leasing.
(Reuters 06:49 PM ET 10/21/2003)

Mo
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On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 01:04:49 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The U.S. Air Force urged lawmakers to approve its plan to lease
100 BOEING CO. 767 refueling planes despite three new
congressional reports poking holes in what would be the first
such rental of a major weapons system. "The Air Force is hoping
that the Senate Armed Services Committee will approve our
original proposal to lease 100 tankers," said a spokeswoman,
Major Karen Finn. "The Air Force really needs this capability."
The Armed Services Committee is alone among the four military
oversight panels that has yet to approve the deal, designed to
acquire the tankers without significant upfront funding that
would squeeze other combat priorities. The service defended the
lease a day after the Congressional Budget Office found
taxpayers could reap $6.7 billion in savings with an outright
purchase, which is standard procurement procedure for arms
systems.
(Reuters 04:21 PM ET 10/17/2003)

Mo
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=============================================== =================


On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 14:53:26 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

The top Democrat on the House of Representatives' Armed Services
Committee said he was having second thoughts on a $22.4 billion
Air Force plan to lease then buy BOEING Co. refueling planes,
citing studies that have challenged its financial soundness. "I
think it would be useful to bring members up to date on the many
reports and studies that have emerged since our hearings on the
issue," Rep. Ike Skelton of Missouri wrote panel chairman
Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., on Wednesday. Studies by the
Congressional Budget Office, General Accounting Office,
Institute for Defense Analyses and Congressional Research
Service have shown that acquiring the 100 modified Boeing 767
aircraft initially through a lease, as the Air Force hopes to
do, would cost $5.5 billion more than buying them outright.
(Reuters 12:53 PM ET 10/09/2003)

Mo
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The House of Representatives' Appropriations Committee voted to
press ahead with a $22.4 billion proposal to lease then buy
BOEING CO. 737s as Air Force refueling planes. But the move to
lease 100 modified 767s as mid-air tankers starting in 2006 --
identical to a Senate appropriations measure -- highlighted
misgivings about the deal among what appeared to be a growing
number of lawmakers. The panel shot down, 33 to 28, a rival
plan, jokingly introduced by its top Democrat, David Obey of
Wisconsin, that would have earmarked $14 billion to start
buying the aircraft outright rather than leasing them first.
"If you want to save the taxpayers money, the best way is to
buy them now," Obey said in bating colleagues to own up to the
lease's extra costs and exercise what he portrayed as fiscal
responsibility.
(Reuters 03:16 PM ET 10/09/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 18:16:49 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

New questions emerged about the personal ties between BOEING CO.
and Darleen Druyun, a former top Air Force official who got a
job with the company after helping negotiate a multibillion
dollar deal to lease Boeing 767s as airborne refueling tankers.
The National Legal and Policy Center, a conservative nonprofit
group opposing the lease deal, released public records that
show Druyun agreed to sell her Virginia home to a senior Boeing
attorney while still working for the Air Force as a procurement
official. She had been deputy assistant secretary for Air Force
acquisition and management. The group also said Druyun's
daughter and son-in-law both work for Boeing, a fact confirmed
by the Chicago-based company.
(Reuters 03:18 PM ET 10/07/2003)

Mo
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============================================= ===================

On Sun, 05 Oct 2003 23:33:50 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

The nonpartisan U.S. Congressional Research Service raised new
doubts on Wednesday about a fresh Pentagon push to acquire
BOEING CO. 767 aircraft as midair refueling tankers through a
lease. The research service said the Defense Department's
latest proposal bolstered the case for purchasing the aircraft
outright, rather than leasing them first in a deal valued at
$22.4 billion. Earlier this month the Senate Armed Services
Committee put off what was to have been a final vote on the
lease proposal. Chairman John Warner, a Virginia Republican,
and the committee's top Democrat, Carl Levin of Michigan, asked
the Pentagon for data on leasing no more than 25 Boeing 767s,
down from the 100 sought by the Air Force.
(Reuters 07:46 PM ET 10/01/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 01 Oct 2003 23:01:27 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Air Force officials on Monday staunchly defended a $22.4 billion
air tanker lease agreement some critics say is a sweetheart
deal for BOEING CO. in the face of tough questions from Senate
aides. Air Force acquisitions chief Marvin Sambur and Lt. Gen.
Michael Zettler, deputy chief of staff for installations and
logistics, met with military legislative aides hoping to pave
the way for approval by the Senate Armed Services Committee of
the plan to lease then buy 100 Boeing 767 tankers. They held a
similar -- and equally contentious -- briefing for Senate
professional staffers on Friday, aides said. Despite the
last-minute push by the Air Force, Senate aides said they did
not expect the Senate Armed Services Committee to vote on the
controversial lease deal this week, putting off any action
until at least mid-October, after a one-week recess. The
committee is the final of four congressional panels to review
the deal. The other three have approved it.
(Reuters 08:08 PM ET 09/29/2003)

Mo
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=========================================== =====================


On Fri, 26 Sep 2003 18:47:59 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Senate Armed Services Committee member John McCain, who helped
stall a $22.4 billion Air Force plan to lease then buy BOEING
CO. tankers, rejected as "non-responsive" a modified Defense
Department proposal. The Pentagon still has "not adequately
justified spending what it now acknowledges will be billions of
dollars more to acquire tankers through a lease," McCain, an
Arizona Republican, said in letters to the armed services
panel's leaders. McCain's new qualms could translate into
further delays for the tanker deal -- a plan to lease a major
weapons system for the first time rather than buy it outright.
(Reuters 04:53 PM ET 09/25/2003)

Mo
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========================================== ======================



The Pentagon's inspector general may issue a subpoena to BOEING
CO. and the U.S. Air Force for all written materials on a $22.4
billion deal to lease then buy 100 Boeing 767 tankers,
congressional and administration sources said on Monday. They
said Inspector General Joseph Schmitz is considering the
unusual move as he investigates possible impropriety in the
lease proposal that critics including U.S. Sen. John McCain
have blasted as a sweetheart deal for Boeing. The Pentagon's
in-house watchdog agency kicked off its investigation based on
documents provided by Boeing to Senate Commerce Committee
Chairman McCain, an Arizona Republican. But investigators,
including an FBI agent, want to see a complete and full record
of documents related to the case, the sources said.
(Reuters 05:40 PM ET 09/22/2003)

Mo
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Boeing Co (BA) (35.15 +0.26)

The Pentagon urged senators to approve a modified $22.4 billion
deal to lease, then buy, 100 BOEING CO. 767 tankers, seeking
authority to buy 26 of the tankers before their 6-year leases
expire to pare total program costs by $1.2 billion. Deputy
Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said buying the 26 tankers
early, between 2008 and 2010, would add $2.4 billion in initial
budget costs while lowering total program costs and allowing the
Air Force to immediately begin modernizing its 43-year-old fleet
of KC-135 tankers. "The optimum approach must balance the total
cost of the program, the additional funds needed ... and the
delivery schedule for the new capability," he told the Senate
Armed Services Committee, the last of four congressional panels
that must vote on the lease deal.
(Reuters 02:53 PM ET 09/23/2003)

Mo
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On Fri, 19 Sep 2003 14:44:14 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The Pentagon's inspector general has told Congress he plans a
formal investigation of possible impropriety involving the U.S.
Air Force's $22.4 billion proposal to lease then buy BOEING 767
aircraft as refueling tankers, a U.S. lawmaker said on
Wednesday. The inspector general, Joseph Schmitz, has concluded
that "sufficient credible information exists to warrant" a
formal investigation, said Sen. John McCain, an Arizona
Republican who has denounced the lease proposal as a sweetheart
deal for Boeing. "Up to now, it appears that the interests of
taxpayers have been subordinated to those of Boeing," McCain
said in disclosing the upgraded probe. In recent weeks, the
Pentagon's in-house watchdog has carried out a preliminary
inquiry into, among other things, whether an Air Force official
gave Boeing proprietary pricing data from Airbus, a rival for
the deal, Congressional staffmembers said.
(Reuters 10:50 PM ET 09/17/2003)

Mo
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President George W. Bush backed a controversial Air Force plan to
lease BOEING 767 aircraft as refueling tankers despite criticism
from Congress, according to an interview. "I do support it," he
said in an interview with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and
other regional newspapers. Senate Armed Services Committee
Chairman John Warner, a Virginia Republican, and Carl Levin of
Michigan, the panel's top Democrat, have asked Defense
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to consider slashing the Air Force
proposal to lease and then buy 100 767s for $22.4 billion. The
senators have suggested leasing no more than 25 767s while
getting the rest of any needed tankers through standard
purchase procedures. Air Force Secretary James Roche said the
Air Force was still working on a lease-to-own deal, a possible
reference to the up to 25 aircraft that Warner and Levin have
suggested.
(Reuters 01:34 PM ET 09/17/2003)

Mo
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========================================= =======================


On Sat, 13 Sep 2003 15:18:18 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Sen. John McCain said that BOEING CO. appeared to have improperly
slanted the Pentagon process that led to its troubled $22.4
billion plan to lease then sell modified refueling tankers to
the Air Force. "To the extent that Boeing did so, its conduct
might have constituted an organizational conflict of interest
or anti-competitive behavior," he said in pressing Joseph
Schmitz, the Defense Department inspector general, to expand an
inquiry into the matter. In a separate letter, McCain, a member
of the Armed Services Committee, called on Defense Secretary
Donald Rumsfeld to provide all records relating to the lease
proposal from both Air Force Secretary James Roche and the
Pentagon's acting chief weapons buyer, Michael Wynne.
(Reuters 08:38 PM ET 09/11/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 10 Sep 2003 19:35:53 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

The U.S. Air Force on Monday said it expected to respond by early
next week to a letter from the Senate Armed Services Committee
proposing a scaled-down lease of 25 BOEING CO. 767s tankers.
"We're in the process of preparing our letter," said Air Force
spokeswoman Gloria Cales. "We should have our response pulled
together later this week or early next week." Cales gave no
details, but Air Force acquisitions chief Marvin Sambur last
week said it would be "significantly more expensive" to lease
fewer airplanes, due to lost volume discounts and the impact of
inflation. Once the Air Force completed its response, it would
go to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for approval, she said.
(Reuters 06:17 PM ET 09/08/2003)

Mo
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On Sat, 06 Sep 2003 11:43:43 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Sen. John McCain, who has criticized the cost of a U.S. Air Force
proposal to lease BOEING CO. 767s as refueling tankers, said on
Friday he would press Air Force Secretary James Roche and other
top Pentagon officials to hand over all records on the deal.
"We'll be asking for as much information as we can get," McCain
said in a telephone interview, 1 day after the Senate Armed
Services Committee on which he serves delayed an expected vote
on a $22.4 billion lease-to-buy plan.
(Reuters 04:23 PM ET 09/05/2003)

Mo
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====================================== ==========================


On Fri, 05 Sep 2003 17:20:17 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

The Pentagon's Inspector General announced a formal investigation
into whether an Air Force official improperly shared data with
BOEING CO., raising new questions about a $22.4 billion Air
Force deal to lease, then buy 100 767 tankers. Sen. John McCain
cited the investigation and once again blasted the proposed
lease deal at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing, while Alaska
Republican Sen. Ted Stevens underscored what he called the
urgency of quickly replacing the Air Force's aging fleet of
KC-135 tankers due to increased wartime use. McCain said
documents provided by Chicago-based Boeing, the Air Force and
the Pentagon which prompted the investigation showed an
"extremely aggressive sales pitch" for the deal.
(Reuters 04:11 PM ET 09/03/2003)

Mo
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Darleen Druyun, a former Air Force official, offered as early as
October 2001 to meet with investors to stress the low risk of a
deal for the Air Force to lease Boeing tankers, a BOEING CO.
memorandum shows. The Pentagon's Inspector General on Wednesday
launched a formal investigation into whether the Air Force
shared proprietary data with Boeing, an inquiry defense
officials said was focused on Druyun, who joined Boeing in
January 2003 after retiring from the Air Force in November
2002. Boeing denies it received any proprietary data during the
negotiations, and Druyun had declined interview requests. The
company insists Druyun has not been involved in the lease
negotiations since joining the company, adhering firmly to
federal rules for former defense officials. Pentagon
investigators will try to determine if Druyun overstepped her
bounds in those discussions, but congressional sources said it
was clear from a series of emails provided to lawmakers by
Boeing that she played a key role early in the Air Force's
negotiations with Boeing.
(Reuters 08:12 PM ET 09/03/2003)

Mo
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Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner said his
panel would not rush to a vote on a controversial Air Force
plan to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767 refueling tankers, which has
been dogged by questions about its cost and propriety. "We owe
an obligation to the taxpayers to very carefully assess this
issue," the Virginia Republican said at the opening of a
hearing into the $22.4 billion Air Force proposal to lease and
then buy 100 aerial tankers. Warner said members of his panel
would hold discussions in a closed hearing after taking
testimony from witnesses before he would schedule a vote.
(Reuters 10:26 AM ET 09/04/2003)

Mo
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The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee has asked Defense
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to look at leasing just one quarter
of the 100 BOEING CO. 767s sought by the Air Force as refueling
tankers, officials said. The committee will postpone a vote on
the Air Force's plan until it gets a Pentagon analysis, the
officials said.
(Reuters 05:05 PM ET 09/04/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 03 Sep 2003 03:45:48 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Dozens of email exchanges among BOEING CO., the Air Force and the
Pentagon released on Saturday raised fresh questions about a
controversial $22.5 billion deal to lease, then buy 100 Boeing
767 tankers. The documents were among more than 8,000 provided
to the Senate Commerce Committee as it investigated a deal its
chairman, Sen. John McCain describes as a "military-industrial
rip-off" and a government bailout of Boeing, whose commercial
aircraft sales slumped after the September 2001 hijack attacks.
The documents contain no "smoking guns," congressional sources
say, but they show a close relationship between Boeing and Air
Force officials, including Air Force Secretary James Roche, as
well as details of a rival bid by Airbus SA.
(Reuters 05:11 PM ET 08/30/2003)

Mo
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Critics of a $22.4 billion Air Force proposal to lease, then buy,
100 Boeing 767s as refueling tankers plan to raise financing and
cost concerns at a Senate hearing on Wednesday in a final bid to
block the deal. Defense analysts predict tough questions in the
Senate Commerce Committee and other hearings this week, but say
the need to replace the Air Force's KC-135 tankers, which are on
average 43 years old, will ultimately win the votes needed for
approval. Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, chairman of the
Commerce Committee, blasts the deal as a government bailout of
BOEING CO., whose commercial aircraft sales slumped after the
September 2001 hijack attacks. The Congressional Budget Office,
the General Accounting Office and several government watchdog
groups are also skeptical of the deal, which has already won
needed approval from three of four congressional committees.
(Reuters 05:06 PM ET 09/02/2003)

Mo
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==================================== ============================


On Mon, 01 Sep 2003 16:12:34 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


BOEING CO. rejected published reports that it might have obtained
rival bidder Airbus SAS's proprietary information while
negotiating a proposed $22.5 billion refueling tanker
lease-purchase agreement with the U.S. Air Force. "Boeing
believes we did not receive any proprietary information from
any official on any subject throughout the entire tanker
lease-negotiation process," said Doug Kennett, a spokesman for
the company. Earlier in the day, the Seattle
Post-Intelligencer, citing an unnamed source, reported what it
called new allegations that a senior Air Force official had
"provided Boeing with proprietary information" about Airbus's
offer to supply its own aircraft and modify them for the
refueling mission. The French-German aerospace firm that
controls Airbus said its response to the U.S. Air Force's
original request for tanker bids was "proprietary in nature and
was furnished to the Air Force in confidence."
(Reuters 01:31 PM ET 08/29/2003)

Mo
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=================================== =============================


On Mon, 01 Sep 2003 15:07:06 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :



-------------------------------------------------------------------
AVflash Volume 9, Number 36a September 1, 2003
-------------------------------------------------------------------

BOEING TO FACE SENATE HEARING ON TANKER LEASE
Boeing is under scrutiny, and the heat is about to intensify on
Wednesday, when a hearing will be held by the Senate Commerce
Committee about the planemaker's $21-billion leasing deal with the
U.S. Air Force for 100 B767 aerial refueling tankers. A report issued
last week by the Congressional Budget Office concluded that "the
proposed transaction would essentially be a purchase of the tankers by
the federal government but at a cost greater than would be incurred
under the normal appropriation and procurement process." The Seattle
Post-Intelligencer reported Friday that Boeing may have had improper
access to information about Airbus's competing proposal for the tanker
deal. Boeing denied that allegation. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a
longtime vocal critic of the lease -- which he has termed "corporate
welfare" for Boeing -- will preside over the hearing. Boeing has
already been in trouble for "industrial espionage" this summer.
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#185597



On Wed, 27 Aug 2003 16:15:04 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The U.S. Congressional Budget Office said the U.S. Air Force's
plan to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767s as refueling tankers will
cost $1.3 billion to $2 billion more than an outright purchase.
The congressional agency said the proposed lease also failed to
meet four out of six conditions set for government leases by
the White House Office of Management and Budget. In a report
published on its web site, CBO said on average, the Air Force
would spent $161 million for each new refueling tanker in 2002
dollars, compared to a cost of $131 million for an outright
purchase. Two Senate committee plan hearings on the deal next
week. The Air Force has said the deal would be about $150
million more costly than a purchase, but say leasing is
preferable since it would allow the military to begin replacing
its aging fleet of KC-135 refueling tanker far sooner.
(Reuters 04:27 PM ET 08/26/2003)

Mo
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On Tue, 29 Jul 2003 14:37:39 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :



A key panel in the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday
approved Air Force plans to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767 refueling
tankers, saying the lease would tie up less money in coming
years than a purchase. "(The tanker leasing proposal) allows us
to replace the aging fleet more quickly, while retaining an
essential combat capability over the next several decades,"
Rep. Duncan Hunter, chair of the House Armed Services
Committee, said in a statement late on Friday. "For this
reason, I am endorsing the proposal by the Secretary of Defense
to lease 100 KC-767 aerial refueling tankers from the Boeing
Corporation. The required notification will be sent this
evening."
(Reuters 01:58 AM ET 07/26/2003)

Mo
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================================ ================================

On Fri, 25 Jul 2003 10:51:58 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The General Accounting Office raised questions about U.S. Air
Force plans to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767 refueling tankers,
saying the purchase cost of the planes after the 6-year lease
was higher than that reported by the military. GAO's $173.5
million per plane price is substantially higher than the $138.4
million -- $131 million plus $7.4 million for financing costs --
cited by the Air Force, said Neal Curtin, director of defense
capabilities for the congressional investigative agency. Curtin
told the House Armed Services Committee he also had concerns
about the "special purpose entity" created to own the aircraft
and lease them to the Air Force. The Air Force has already won
the approval of the House and Senate Appropriations committees,
and says it hopes to move forward on the deal by September.
(Reuters 10:51 AM ET 07/23/2003)

Mo
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On Tue, 15 Jul 2003 10:02:11 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

BOEING CO. said a controversial plan to lease 100 tanker aircraft
to the U.S. Air Force would offer good value and speed badly
needed planes into service. An Air Force analysis delivered to
Congress last Friday showed leasing could cost as much as $1.9
billion more than a straight purchase, more than 10% of the
proposed $17.2 billion deal, which would include an option to
buy for another $4 billion. Critics including Republican Sen.
John McCain of Arizona have blasted the deal as a
taxpayer-funded handout to Boeing, which has been badly hurt by
a slump in orders for its commercial jets since the Sept. 11,
2001 hijack attacks. But Air Force and Boeing officials argue
that the tanker fleet, with an average age of 43 years,
urgently needs an upgrade, saying the maintenance savings from
the 100 proposed new aircraft would be worth $5 billion.
(Reuters 03:24 PM ET 07/14/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=840...a&s=rb0307 14

============================== ==================================


On Mon, 07 Jul 2003 10:19:06 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :



-------------------------------------------------------------------
AVflash Volume 9, Number 28a July 7, 2003
-------------------------------------------------------------------

BOEING GETS AID FUNDS?...
It's the U.S.'s largest exporter and by far its largest aerospace
company, so when Boeing stamps its feet, the ground shakes under most
of us. Lately the Chicago-headquartered manufacturer has been
attracting the attention of critics who claim Boeing is drawing too
much from the government trough. The Citizens Against Government Waste
(CAGW) has formally asked the House Armed Services Subcommittee to
oppose a $21 billion deal for Boeing to lease 100 767 aerial tankers
to the Air Force. The CAGW claims upgrading the existing fleet of 127
707-based KC-135s would cost $3.8 billion and it also points out that
after leasing the 767s for 10 years the planes go back to Boeing. The
company is also (according to some) seeing some extremely generous
offers from states and towns as it dangles the carrot of 1,000 jobs to
be won by the location that will build its new 7E7 Dreamliner.
http://www.avweb.com/newswire/9_28a/...85269-1.html#2
------------------------------------------------------------------



On Thu, 26 Jun 2003 01:07:00 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The Pentagon is working on an amendment to the proposed fiscal
2004 defense budget as a result of its plan to lease 100 BOEING
CO. 767s as refueling tankers, a top Air Force official said
Tuesday. Air Force Lt. Gen. Michael Zettler, deputy chief of
staff for installations and logistics, gave no details about
the amount of the request when he testified to the House Armed
Forces Committee's subcommittee on projection forces. The
hearing was the first of several expected on the controversial
proposed $16 billion lease agreement aimed at starting to
replace the Air Force's fleet of 543 KC-135 refueling tankers,
which average 42 years in age.
(Reuters 06:50 PM ET 06/24/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 18 Jun 2003 20:15:49 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Sen. John McCain, who has called a U.S. military contract with
BOEING CO. a "rip-off," sent a letter to Boeing Chief Executive
Philip Condit requesting documents related to the deal, The Wall
Street Journal reported. McCain, the chair of the U.S. Senate's
Commerce Committee, is seeking all communication between Boeing
and government officials related to the lease, as well as
documents from Boeing's interactions with commercial and
foreign government customers. A representative of Boeing could
not immediately be reached for comment, but a spokesman told
the Journal that Boeing received the letter and planned a
response. Critics of the deal have called on U.S. lawmakers to
delay approval of a $16 billion deal in which the Air Force
will lease planes from Boeing to replace its aging fleet of
refueling aircraft.
(Reuters 05:53 AM ET 06/17/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=829...a&s=rb0306 17



On Thu, 12 Jun 2003 13:33:18 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Seven independent groups blasted a $16 billion BOEING CO. lease
deal with the Air Force as "a profligate waste of taxpayer
dollars" and said lawmakers should delay its approval until a
criminal investigation into another Boeing contract is
completed. Boeing, anticipating the letter, on Monday bought
full-page advertisements in major U.S. newspapers, admitting
its employees acted improperly during a fierce competition with
LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP. for a $2 billion rocket deal. But Boeing
Chairman and Chief Executive Phil Condit said the company had
taken appropriate action after it learned of the errors and
would not tolerate unethical behavior. The Project on
Government Oversight, which also signed the letter, rejected
Condit's statement and said it had documented 36 cases of
misconduct or alleged misconduct by Boeing workers between 1990
and 2002, resulting in about $348 million in fines or penalties,
restitution and settlement fees.
(Reuters 01:00 AM ET 06/10/2003)

Mo
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On Thu, 29 May 2003 13:11:07 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


U.S. senators will hold a hearing in early June on a $16 billion
plan for BOEING CO. to lease 100 modified 767 jets to the Air
Force, but congressional aides and defense experts did not
expect the deal to run into last-minute problems on Capitol
Hill. Despite the Bush administration's approval of the lease,
defense experts said they did not expect it to be the harbinger
of a new Pentagon preference for leasing military equipment.
"It's going to sail through Congress," said Loren Thompson,
head of the Virginia-based Lexington Institute. "I don't see it
being held up. The Air Force wants it, the administration wants
it and some very key people in both houses of Congress want it."
(Reuters 05:19 PM ET 05/27/2003)

Mo
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On Sun, 25 May 2003 09:49:28 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


The White House budget office said that scant headway had been
made as far as it was concerned toward a proposed
multibillion-dollar Air Force tanker-lease deal with BOEING CO.
despite a string of high-level meetings. "OMB (Office of
Management and Budget) doesn't see a lot of progress since last
week," said spokesman Trent Duffy. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul
Wolfowitz discussed a revised proposal Tuesday night with both
the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer, Edward Aldridge, and Air
Force secretary James Roche. Wolfowitz is "taking the proposed
tanker lease under advisement," Cheryl Irwin, a Pentagon
spokeswoman, said. She said she did not know how long a
decision might take. The deal has been under discussion since
early last year.
(Reuters 06:53 PM ET 05/21/2003)

Mo
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Top Pentagon officials late on Tuesday began reviewing the Air
Force's plans to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767s as refueling tankers
after the company further lowered its price, sources familiar
with the agreement said. After nonstop negotiations, Boeing had
agreed to lower the price for each of the modified 767-200ER
planes below the figure of $136 million reported last week. The
price of the overall lease deal -- which critics have blasted as
corporate welfare for a company hard hit by a slump in
commercial sales -- was now below $17 billion, including the
terms of the 6-year lease and an Air Force purchase at the end
of the lease, the sources said. The initial deal called for the
Air Force to pay $17 billion for the lease, and $4 billion for
purchase at the end.
(Reuters 05:35 PM ET 05/20/2003)

Mo
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On Tue, 13 May 2003 02:14:28 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


BOEING CO. has agreed to reduce by 6% the price of a multibillion
deal to lease 100 767 aircraft to the Air Force as refueling
tankers, defense officials said. The officials, who asked not
to be named, said Boeing officials had agreed to trim the price
of each 767-ER200 aircraft by $9 million to about $141 million
each. The officials said a decision on the deal -- which has
been in the works for over 18 months -- could come soon. But
they said defense officials were at pains to review the
agreement very carefully, since it marked the first time the
U.S. military would lease -- rather than buy -- such a large
number of aircraft. The lease had been expected to cost $17
billion over 6 years, with the Air Force to pay an additional
$4 billion to buy the planes at the end of the term.
(Reuters 02:01 PM ET 05/12/2003)

Mo
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On Fri, 09 May 2003 01:13:04 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:

The Defense Department still has issues to resolve before
endorsing a multibillion dollar U.S. Air Force proposal to
lease 100 BOEING CO. 767s as refueling tankers, the prime
congressional mover behind the plan said Wednesday. "I'm
talking to all parties, trying to move this thing forward --
and we're still not quite there yet," said Rep. Norm Dicks, the
Washington Democrat who spearheaded the law authorizing the
unusual leasing arrangement. The Air Force and Boeing have been
working on the proposed lease for more than a year. Their
tentative deal involved a $17 billion lease over 6 years, with
an option to purchase the aircraft for another $4 billion at
the end of the lease. By some accounts, the Defense Department
had been expected to sign off any day now following a fresh
round of meetings on Friday and over the weekend that
reportedly lowered the cost to the Air Force.
(Reuters 05:39 PM ET 05/07/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 07 May 2003 17:40:54 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:



Pentagon lawyers are taking a final look at a proposed
multibillion Air Force lease of 100 BOEING CO. 767 jets as
refueling tankers and the deal could be approved later Tuesday,
defense officials said. But sources familiar with the
negotiations warned the deal -- which critics blast as a
corporate handout to Boeing -- has been in the works for more
than 18 months and last-minute issues have delayed its approval
more than once. Negotiators from Chicago-based Boeing, the Air
Force and the Office of the Secretary of Defense succeeded over
the weekend in narrowing the differences between the cost of the
deal as estimated by the Air Force and the independent Institute
for Defense Analyses, the officials said. Under the terms of the
original deal, the Air Force would spend $17 billion to lease
the 100 planes for 6 years, paying an additional $4 billion to
buy them at the end of the term.
(Reuters 12:04 PM ET 05/06/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=811...a&s=rb0305 06

===================== ===========================================

On Sat, 03 May 2003 04:38:27 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:



BOEING CO. said its plan to lease 100 767 commercial jets to the
U.S. Air Force as refueling tankers could generate as much as
$2.8 billion in support revenues over the projected life of the
proposed $17 billion lease. John Sams, the Boeing official who
negotiated the deal with the air force, said each aircraft was
projected to spin off $4.8 million a year during the projected
6-year lease, assuming 750 hours of flying time. This figure
would include all spare parts, training and simulators, the
company said, and total $28.8 million per tanker over the 6
years. If the leases were extended, Boeing's take would rise
correspondingly. Under a tentative deal awaiting U.S. Defense
Department's approval, the air force would have an option to
buy the modified 767s at the end of the lease for a combined $4
billion.
(Reuters 11:46 PM ET 05/01/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=810...a&s=rb0305 01

==================== ============================================

On Wed, 23 Apr 2003 00:39:24 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:



Top Pentagon and White House officials on May 2 will revisit a
controversial $17 billion plan for the Air Force to lease 100
BOEING CO. 767 jets as refueling tankers, sources familiar with
the matter said on Monday. Boeing and Air Force officials have
been pressing for months to win approval for the unique leasing
arrangement that would also give the Air Force the option to buy
the jets for $4 billion at the end of the lease. The deal is
complicated because the government generally buys rather than
leases equipment like tankers. It has also sparked criticism
from some lawmakers, the Office of Management and Budget and
independent watchdog agencies.
(Reuters 05:34 PM ET 04/21/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=804...a&s=rb0304 21

=================== =============================================

On Mon, 14 Apr 2003 18:24:19 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


BOEING CO.'s $17 billion plan to lease 100 of its 767 jets to the
U.S. Air Force as refueling tankers faces delay after U.S.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld sought information on
purchasing some of the planes, sources familiar with the matter
said. Also being informally examined is how the price per plane
could drop if another 80 to 100 of the tankers were to be
ordered, the sources said. Boeing and Air Force officials have
been hoping for months to get final clearance to proceed with
the unique leasing arrangement that would also give the Air
Force the option to buy the jets for $4 billion at the end of
the lease. Pentagon spokesman Glenn Flood dismissed any talk of
more than 100 aircraft. "The only plan is for 100. Any increase
above 100 would have to be approved by Congress and the White
House," he said.
(Reuters 05:06 PM ET 04/10/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=800...a&s=rb0304 10


On Tue, 11 Mar 2003 01:13:00 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is to review a $21 billion Air
Force plan to lease modified 767 BOEING CO. tankers that has
come under fire for its cost and financing, according to
sources familiar with the deal. Defense Undersecretary Edward
"Pete" Aldridge and Pentagon Comptroller Dov Zakheim, who make
up a panel that reviews leasing arrangements like the proposed
Boeing deal, are due to brief Rumsfeld. He was not expected to
approve or reject the deal at Monday's meeting, although
sources close to the negotiations said they expected him to
make a decision soon. Under the plan, the Air Force would pay
$17 billion to lease 100 planes to start replacing the
service's fleet of 40-year-old KC-135 tankers. Financial
service companies would set up a "special purpose entity" to
float bonds to buy the tankers from Boeing, and lease them to
the military.
(Reuters 05:33 PM ET 03/07/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=785...a&s=rb0303 07

On Thu, 13 Feb 2003 19:14:37 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
fjrn4vkjedt414f5 :


BOEING CO. expects a U.S. decision in the next 2 weeks on a
$17-billion tanker lease contract, a senior company official
said, adding that sales to the UK and others were also under
discussion. The world's largest aircraft maker aims to supply
100 tanker versions of its 767 commercial airliner to replace
the U.S. Air Force's ageing fleet of KC-135 tankers. "I'm
certain we'll have closure on it in the next two weeks," George
Muellner, Boeing senior VP for Air Force systems, told defense
reporters in London. "We've had dialogue with three or four
other countries, other than Italy and Japan," Muellner said.
Muellner said Japan had signed a deal this month and Australia
was interested. Italy signed a deal for four 767-based tankers
last month.
(Reuters 01:55 PM ET 01/29/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=768...a&s=rb0301 29


On Mon, 10 Feb 2003 03:57:25 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
4n8e4v8av75ot2g :


Top Pentagon officials aim to decide next week whether to allow
the Air Force to lease 100 modified 767 BOEING CO. tankers to
replace its ageing fleet, Defense Undersecretary Edward
Aldridge said. "It's hard ... It's a major investment,"
Aldridge said of the controversial $17 billion deal, which
would give the Air Force up to 12 new tankers in 2006 and all
100 by 2011. For an additional $4 billion the Air Force would
be able to purchase the jets outright at the end of the lease,
sources familiar with the deal have said. Aldridge, the
Pentagon's chief weapons buyer, favors innovative and flexible
approaches to defense procurement, and his office has
championed streamlined acquisitions rules aimed at getting
weapons to the services more quickly.
(Reuters 03:42 PM ET 02/07/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=773...a&s=rb0302 07

On Wed, 15 Jan 2003 01:12:47 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
d7d92v8q5sdkup :


The U.S. Air Force hopes to win approval in Q1 2003 for a
controversia l contract to lease 100 767 commercial jets from
BOEING CO., sources familiar with the discussions said on
Monday. The $17 billion lease contract - aimed at replacing the
Air Force's aging fleet of KC-135 tankers -- has been in the
works for over a year and still requires approval by top
Pentagon officials and U.S. lawmakers, who raised questions
last year about the costs of an earlier version of the
contract. The deal now under discussion would give the Air
Force 11 to 12 new tankers in 2006, with all 100 to be
delivered by 2011. For an additional $4 billion, the Air Force
will be able to purchase the jets outright at the end of the
lease, according to sources familiar with the deal.
(Reuters 06:22 PM ET 01/13/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=759...a&s=rb0301 13

----------

On Sun, 17 Nov 2002 00:43:37 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
ifpdtuovlha5l :


BOEING CO. said it no longer expected to wrap up as early as next
month a proposed deal, valued at as much as $18 billion, to
lease 100 aerial refueling tankers to the U.S. Air Force.
Instead, it may take until early next year to reach agreement
with the Air Force, partly because of a new Congress taking
office in January, said Jim Albaugh, president and chief
executive of Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems unit. "We're
in final negotiations with the customer," he told reporters at
a briefing on the company's scheduled first launch of its Delta
4 rocket.
(Reuters 12:52 PM ET 11/14/2002)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=737...a&s=rb0211 14

============= ================================================== =


On Sun, 10 Nov 2002 12:08:17 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
dvissu4135et :


BOEING CO. said its proposal to lease 100 aerial refueling
tankers would cost the U.S. Air Force about $17 billion, some
$10 billion less than previously estimated, with an option to
purchase the aircraft for another $4 billion. The current
estimate must still be scrutinized by the Pentagon's Cost
Analysis Improvement Group, but if accurate, it could ease
concern in Congress and at the White House over the initial
price tag of $26 billion to $28 billion. "It will turn out to
be more like the $17 to $18 billion we are talking about,"
Boeing's VP for airlift and tanker programs Howard Chambers
told Reuters by telephone. "Over the last six months we have
gotten more clarity."
(Reuters 03:08 PM ET 11/07/2002)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=734...a&s=rb0211 07

----------------------------------------------------------------

On Wed, 06 Nov 2002 15:26:33 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
i4disug2gpm :



BOEING CO., still negotiating with the U.S. government, hopes to
close a key deal to lease modified 767 jetliners as refueling
tankers to the U.S. Air Force by year-end, a spokesman said.
The price under discussion is now $17 billion for 100 refueling
tankers, down from the originally estimated $26 billion that
failed to win approval in Washington, The Wall Street Journal
reported. Boeing, the second largest U.S. military contractor,
had hoped to close the deal long ago but has been thwarted by
concerns over price and the value of buying versus leasing. At
one point, rival airplane manufacturer Airbus of Europe was
also trying to win the deal.
(Reuters 11:42 AM ET 11/05/2002)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=732...a&s=rb0211 05




On Wed, 04 Sep 2002 01:41:34 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
d5panukhiq :



GENERAL DYNAMICS CORP. said the U.S. Navy had given it and BOEING
CO. 30 days to pay $2.3 billion to settle an 11-year legal
battle over the Pentagon's abrupt cancellation of the Navy's
A-12 fighter jet. "General Dynamics regards this demand as an
unseemly negotiating tactic, and an apparent effort to gain
advantag e during settlement talks," the company said, noting
that it would seek an injunction in federal court if the
settleme nt talks failed to reach a result before the 30-day
deadline . General Dynamics, Boeing and the Navy were in intense
discussion s this summer to settle the matter, with one proposal
calling for the companies to provide goods and services to the
Navy valued at more than $2.5 billion, including discounts on
F-18E/F fighter jets it plans to buy in the future.
(Reuters 03:19 PM ET 09/03/2002)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=699...a&s=rb0209 03

========== ================================================== ====


On Thu, 08 Aug 2002 14:39:41 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
fj05lu8e0 :



Officia ls at the U.S. Air Force and aircraft manufacturer BOEING
CO. said on Tuesday they were still hammering out an agreement
to lease 100 commercial Boeing 767s and convert them to aerial
refueli ng tankers, despite new White House criticism of the
propose d deal. White House Budget Director Mitchell Daniels
said in a recent letter he would not support any proposal that
cost taxpayers more than an outright purchase. "The Air Force
and Boeing are still in negotiations," said Air Force
spokeswom an Capt. Jessica Smith, noting the current fleet of
545 KC-135 tankers had an average age of 41 years. "We're
working to find the best deal for the taxpayers."
(Reuter s 05:53 PM ET 08/06/2002)

Mo
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----------------------------------------------------------------

On Thu, 18 Jul 2002 17:19:32 GMT, "W. D. Allen"
ballensr @adelphia.net (W. D. Allen) wrote in Message ID
EMCZ8.69 :

More like an Air Farce, not a Boeing, boondoggle! Can't sell something to a
custom er when they do not want it!! Get it right or forget it!

WDA

end

"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
news:8j8 ...

BOEING CO. CFO Mike Sears said the aerospace company expects to
sign a deal to lease air refueling tankers to the U.S. Air
Force by the end of summer. Congress authorized the Air Force
in December to negotiate a leasing deal with Boeing for 100
converted 767s to replace some aging KC-135 tankers. White
House and congressional budget experts had said it would be
cheaper to buy new planes or refurbish the old tankers than
sign a 10-year lease with an estimated cost of $26 billion to
$37 billion.
(Reuters 10:44 AM ET 07/17/2002)

Mo

http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=674...a&s=rb0207 17


On Fri, 17 May 2002 03:34:14 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
:

----------------------------------------------------------------
Boeing Co (BA) (45.00 +0.45)

Replacing the oldest U.S. refueling aircraft remains an Air Force
priority, the service's secretary and chief of staff told
Congress Wednesday amid controversy over a proposed lease of
commercial aircraft from BOEING CO. The Air Force said concern
about the 43-year-old KC-135Es in its fleet had been heightened
by the increased pace of aerial refueling after the Sept. 11
attacks. Air Force Secretary James Roche rejected suggestions
that the Air Force could get by with its current refueling
fleet for 15 years or more. Replacement needs to start as soon
as possible, the Air Force said in a separate letter replying
to criticism of the proposed lease deal.
(Reuters 04:34 PM ET 05/15/2002)

Mo

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----------------------------------------------------------------


On Tue, 14 May 2002 00:55:42 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
:

----------------------------------------------------------------
Boeing Co (BA) (44.28 +0.65)

The Senate Armed Services Committee moved on Friday to boost
congressional oversight of a possible $26 billion Air Force
deal to lease BOEING CO. wide-body jets and turn them into
refueling tankers. Sen. John McCain said he was clearing the
way for public hearings on what he has described as a potential
taxpayer "rip-off." A measure adopted by the panel would force
the secretary of the Air Force to get specific funding for any
lease of Boeing 767 tankers -- a process that could delay any
deal to the next budget cycle if enacted into law.
(Reuters 05:15 PM ET 05/10/2002)

Mo

http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=641...1a&s=rb0205 1
0



On Thu, 09 May 2002 15:59:30 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
:


Boeing Co (BA) (44.41 +1.27)

Plans for the U.S. Air Force to lease BOEING CO. 767 commercial
aircraft as aerial refueling tankers is an expensive solution
that could actually cut overall fuel capacity, according to a
White House analysis obtained on Tuesday. Office of Management
and Budget Director Mitch Daniels said leasing the 100 767s to
start replacing a 40-year-old fleet of KC-135 tankers would
cost up to $26 billion and result in a slightly smaller overall
fuel capacity. A $3.2 billion upgrade of 126 KC-135s would
increase fleet capacity by a similar amount but the Air Force
had not chosen this route, Daniels said in a letter to leasing
critic, Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain.
(Reuters 07:52 PM ET 05/07/2002)

Mo

http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=639...0925a&s=rb0205
07

On 18 Apr 2002 22:00:27 -0700, (Blain Shinno) (Blain
Shinno) wrote in Message ID
m:

Boeing expects to begin delivering aerial refueling tankers
based on its 767 wide-body jetliner, including some for Italian
and Japanese forces, by late 2004, with some 100 tankers for the
U.S. Air Force rolling off the line beginning in 2005.

I wonder how many tankers will be delivered each year. Seems a little
long to wait for leased tankers. I wonder when all of them will be
delivered? For $26 billion the USAF better have the option of buying
the tankers for $1 at the end of the lease. And how does the lease
impact the future buy of tankers? When will 767 derivatives start
rolling off the line? Following the delivery of leased tankers, or
after? How is that going to impact the budget?



  #26  
Old November 8th 03, 06:05 PM
Larry Dighera
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default




Congressional conferees have approved a multibillion-dollar
compromise plan for the Air Force to acquire 100 BOEING CO.
refueling aircraft, leasing the first 20 of them, the House of
Representatives Armed Services Committee said. Winding up a
2-year battle over the program, the House and Senate armed
services panels agreed the remaining 80 would be bought. The
leases will begin in fiscal 2006, which starts Oct. 1, 2005,
and the purchases will be through fiscal 2014. The deal was
part of the fiscal 2004 Defense Authorization Act, which
earmarks $400 billion for the Defense Department and national
security programs of the Energy Department. Under the revised
plan for tankers, which refuel other warplanes in mid-air, the
Defense Department will be required to conduct and report on an
independent assessment of the condition of the aging fleet of
KC-135 tankers.
(Reuters 10:08 AM ET 11/07/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=887...a&s=rb0311 07


On Fri, 07 Nov 2003 19:34:49 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The Pentagon, bowing to critics, said it would lease just 20
planes under a multibillion-dollar plan to acquire 100 BOEING
CO. jetliners for use as refueling tankers, buying the rest
outright. If approved by lawmakers, as now expected, the deal
would mark the first lease, rather than purchase, of a major
weapons system. It has roiled Congress for 2 years over charges
the Air Force was giving Boeing a sweetheart deal at taxpayer
expense. Originally, the Air Force had sought to lease all 100
tankers, derived from Boeing's commercial 767, and then planned
to buy them in a deal costing at least $22.4 billion through
2017. Under the new proposal, the Air Force would start
replacing its KC-135E tanker fleet, which average 43 years old,
with leased KC-767A planes tankers in 2006.
(Reuters 03:16 PM ET 11/06/2003)

Mo
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----------------------------------------------------------------

The White House said a deal is needed quickly that would let the
Air Force acquire new BOEING 767s as refueling planes. "There's
an urgent need to make this happen sooner rather than later,"
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said as congressional
negotiations continue over an original proposal to lease and
then buy 100 planes.
(Reuters 10:17 AM ET 11/06/2003)

Mo
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----------------------------------------------------------------

On Fri, 31 Oct 2003 21:14:48 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said he would "dearly love"
Congress to strike a deal that would let the Air Force acquire
new BOEING CO. 767s as refueling planes. He seemed to signal
acceptance of a scaled-back lease proposed by the Senate Armed
Services Committee, alone among four congressional oversight
panels to spurn the original plan, valued at more than $22
billion, to lease then buy 100 planes. "Political compromise is
what we do when the marbles have been divided and it's to be
expected," Rumsfeld told reporters at the Pentagon. The Senate
panel has proposed acquiring up to 100 planes by leasing 20 and
buying the rest -- a compromise formula designed to save
billions.
(Reuters 04:28 PM ET 10/30/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=883...a&s=rb0310 30

================================================ ================
A study released on Tuesday raises questions about a U.S. Air
Force proposal to give BOEING CO. a $5.3 billion contract to
maintain 100 767 refueling tankers, the latest congressional
report to criticize the multibillion-dollar lease proposal.
Sen. John McCain, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee and
a vocal critic of the $24.3 billion lease and buy deal, released
the Congressional Research Service report challenging the Air
Force's assertion that Boeing is "uniquely qualified" to
provide initial maintenance support. CRS said many other
companies routinely serviced 767s, and Boeing was not "the
only, or even the largest, organization capable of handling the
maintenance needs of the 767." Air Force Secretary James Roche
told the Senate Armed Services Committee in a letter dated Oct.
9 that it made sense to give the maintenance contract to Boeing
since much of the 767 engineering data was proprietary. But CRS
said much of this data could be licensed to a third party to
handle maintenance.
(Reuters 06:57 PM ET 10/28/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=882...a&s=rb0310 28

----------------------------------------------------------------

On Tue, 28 Oct 2003 03:44:41 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Bad blood between the U.S. Congress and the Pentagon has taken a
toll on BOEING CO.'s multibillion-dollar drive to lease
jetliners to the Air Force as refueling planes, congressional
officials and private analysts said on Friday. The Boeing issue
laid bare growing strains between Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld and his top lieutenants, on the one hand, and the two
most powerful Republicans on the Senate Armed Services
Committee, on the other. Among other things, the chill reflects
pique at what officials on both sides of the aisle deem
Rumsfeld's sometimes-dismissive approach to Congress, for
instance on the situation in post-war Iraq. But it also
reflects perceived slights to Armed Services Committee Chairman
John Warner of Virginia, Congress's top overseer of the Defense
Department, and the panel's second-ranking Republican, John
McCain of Arizona.
(Reuters 06:20 PM ET 10/24/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=881...a&s=rb0310 24

=============================================== =================


The White House budget office discounted Thursday a key senator's
request to "revisit" its endorsement of a multibillion-dollar
Air Force plan to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767s as refueling
planes. The Office of Management and Budget will review Senate
Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain's written request sent
Wednesday, said a spokesman. President Bush said on Sept. 16
that he backed the proposed lease to start replacing aging
KC-135 tankers. The Air Force says the lease would give it
needed capability sooner than it could buy outright without
pinching other combat priorities. McCain has denounced the
proposed lease, designed to lead to purchases, as a bonanza for
Boeing and a bad deal for taxpayers that does not comply with
the fiscal 2002 legislation that authorized it.
(Reuters 05:00 PM ET 10/23/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=880...a&s=rb0310 23

=============================================== =================


The Senate Commerce Committee plans another hearing next week on
a controversial multibillion-dollar Air Force proposal to lease
100 BOEING CO. 767 tankers, as the Senate Armed Services
Committee continues weigh its options, including approving a
scaled-down lease. The armed services panel, chaired by
Virginia Republican Sen. John Warner, is the last of four
committees that must approve the lease deal -- which the Air
Force says it needs to begin replacing its fleet of aging
midair refueling tankers without incurring significant upfront
funding costs. Warner is under considerable political pressure
to approve the lease deal, but aides said the latest reports
only underscored his concerns about the higher cost of leasing.
(Reuters 06:49 PM ET 10/21/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=878...a&s=rb0310 21

----------------------------------------------------------------

On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 01:04:49 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The U.S. Air Force urged lawmakers to approve its plan to lease
100 BOEING CO. 767 refueling planes despite three new
congressional reports poking holes in what would be the first
such rental of a major weapons system. "The Air Force is hoping
that the Senate Armed Services Committee will approve our
original proposal to lease 100 tankers," said a spokeswoman,
Major Karen Finn. "The Air Force really needs this capability."
The Armed Services Committee is alone among the four military
oversight panels that has yet to approve the deal, designed to
acquire the tankers without significant upfront funding that
would squeeze other combat priorities. The service defended the
lease a day after the Congressional Budget Office found
taxpayers could reap $6.7 billion in savings with an outright
purchase, which is standard procurement procedure for arms
systems.
(Reuters 04:21 PM ET 10/17/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=877...a&s=rb0310 17

============================================== ==================


On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 14:53:26 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

The top Democrat on the House of Representatives' Armed Services
Committee said he was having second thoughts on a $22.4 billion
Air Force plan to lease then buy BOEING Co. refueling planes,
citing studies that have challenged its financial soundness. "I
think it would be useful to bring members up to date on the many
reports and studies that have emerged since our hearings on the
issue," Rep. Ike Skelton of Missouri wrote panel chairman
Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., on Wednesday. Studies by the
Congressional Budget Office, General Accounting Office,
Institute for Defense Analyses and Congressional Research
Service have shown that acquiring the 100 modified Boeing 767
aircraft initially through a lease, as the Air Force hopes to
do, would cost $5.5 billion more than buying them outright.
(Reuters 12:53 PM ET 10/09/2003)

Mo
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----------------------------------------------------------------


The House of Representatives' Appropriations Committee voted to
press ahead with a $22.4 billion proposal to lease then buy
BOEING CO. 737s as Air Force refueling planes. But the move to
lease 100 modified 767s as mid-air tankers starting in 2006 --
identical to a Senate appropriations measure -- highlighted
misgivings about the deal among what appeared to be a growing
number of lawmakers. The panel shot down, 33 to 28, a rival
plan, jokingly introduced by its top Democrat, David Obey of
Wisconsin, that would have earmarked $14 billion to start
buying the aircraft outright rather than leasing them first.
"If you want to save the taxpayers money, the best way is to
buy them now," Obey said in bating colleagues to own up to the
lease's extra costs and exercise what he portrayed as fiscal
responsibility.
(Reuters 03:16 PM ET 10/09/2003)

Mo
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----------------------------------------------------------------


On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 18:16:49 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

New questions emerged about the personal ties between BOEING CO.
and Darleen Druyun, a former top Air Force official who got a
job with the company after helping negotiate a multibillion
dollar deal to lease Boeing 767s as airborne refueling tankers.
The National Legal and Policy Center, a conservative nonprofit
group opposing the lease deal, released public records that
show Druyun agreed to sell her Virginia home to a senior Boeing
attorney while still working for the Air Force as a procurement
official. She had been deputy assistant secretary for Air Force
acquisition and management. The group also said Druyun's
daughter and son-in-law both work for Boeing, a fact confirmed
by the Chicago-based company.
(Reuters 03:18 PM ET 10/07/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=872...a&s=rb0310 07

============================================ ====================

On Sun, 05 Oct 2003 23:33:50 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

The nonpartisan U.S. Congressional Research Service raised new
doubts on Wednesday about a fresh Pentagon push to acquire
BOEING CO. 767 aircraft as midair refueling tankers through a
lease. The research service said the Defense Department's
latest proposal bolstered the case for purchasing the aircraft
outright, rather than leasing them first in a deal valued at
$22.4 billion. Earlier this month the Senate Armed Services
Committee put off what was to have been a final vote on the
lease proposal. Chairman John Warner, a Virginia Republican,
and the committee's top Democrat, Carl Levin of Michigan, asked
the Pentagon for data on leasing no more than 25 Boeing 767s,
down from the 100 sought by the Air Force.
(Reuters 07:46 PM ET 10/01/2003)

Mo
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----------------------------------------------------------------

On Wed, 01 Oct 2003 23:01:27 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Air Force officials on Monday staunchly defended a $22.4 billion
air tanker lease agreement some critics say is a sweetheart
deal for BOEING CO. in the face of tough questions from Senate
aides. Air Force acquisitions chief Marvin Sambur and Lt. Gen.
Michael Zettler, deputy chief of staff for installations and
logistics, met with military legislative aides hoping to pave
the way for approval by the Senate Armed Services Committee of
the plan to lease then buy 100 Boeing 767 tankers. They held a
similar -- and equally contentious -- briefing for Senate
professional staffers on Friday, aides said. Despite the
last-minute push by the Air Force, Senate aides said they did
not expect the Senate Armed Services Committee to vote on the
controversial lease deal this week, putting off any action
until at least mid-October, after a one-week recess. The
committee is the final of four congressional panels to review
the deal. The other three have approved it.
(Reuters 08:08 PM ET 09/29/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=869...a&s=rb0309 29

========================================== ======================


On Fri, 26 Sep 2003 18:47:59 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Senate Armed Services Committee member John McCain, who helped
stall a $22.4 billion Air Force plan to lease then buy BOEING
CO. tankers, rejected as "non-responsive" a modified Defense
Department proposal. The Pentagon still has "not adequately
justified spending what it now acknowledges will be billions of
dollars more to acquire tankers through a lease," McCain, an
Arizona Republican, said in letters to the armed services
panel's leaders. McCain's new qualms could translate into
further delays for the tanker deal -- a plan to lease a major
weapons system for the first time rather than buy it outright.
(Reuters 04:53 PM ET 09/25/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=868...a&s=rb0309 25

========================================= =======================



The Pentagon's inspector general may issue a subpoena to BOEING
CO. and the U.S. Air Force for all written materials on a $22.4
billion deal to lease then buy 100 Boeing 767 tankers,
congressional and administration sources said on Monday. They
said Inspector General Joseph Schmitz is considering the
unusual move as he investigates possible impropriety in the
lease proposal that critics including U.S. Sen. John McCain
have blasted as a sweetheart deal for Boeing. The Pentagon's
in-house watchdog agency kicked off its investigation based on
documents provided by Boeing to Senate Commerce Committee
Chairman McCain, an Arizona Republican. But investigators,
including an FBI agent, want to see a complete and full record
of documents related to the case, the sources said.
(Reuters 05:40 PM ET 09/22/2003)

Mo
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Boeing Co (BA) (35.15 +0.26)

The Pentagon urged senators to approve a modified $22.4 billion
deal to lease, then buy, 100 BOEING CO. 767 tankers, seeking
authority to buy 26 of the tankers before their 6-year leases
expire to pare total program costs by $1.2 billion. Deputy
Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said buying the 26 tankers
early, between 2008 and 2010, would add $2.4 billion in initial
budget costs while lowering total program costs and allowing the
Air Force to immediately begin modernizing its 43-year-old fleet
of KC-135 tankers. "The optimum approach must balance the total
cost of the program, the additional funds needed ... and the
delivery schedule for the new capability," he told the Senate
Armed Services Committee, the last of four congressional panels
that must vote on the lease deal.
(Reuters 02:53 PM ET 09/23/2003)

Mo
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========================================= =======================


On Fri, 19 Sep 2003 14:44:14 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The Pentagon's inspector general has told Congress he plans a
formal investigation of possible impropriety involving the U.S.
Air Force's $22.4 billion proposal to lease then buy BOEING 767
aircraft as refueling tankers, a U.S. lawmaker said on
Wednesday. The inspector general, Joseph Schmitz, has concluded
that "sufficient credible information exists to warrant" a
formal investigation, said Sen. John McCain, an Arizona
Republican who has denounced the lease proposal as a sweetheart
deal for Boeing. "Up to now, it appears that the interests of
taxpayers have been subordinated to those of Boeing," McCain
said in disclosing the upgraded probe. In recent weeks, the
Pentagon's in-house watchdog has carried out a preliminary
inquiry into, among other things, whether an Air Force official
gave Boeing proprietary pricing data from Airbus, a rival for
the deal, Congressional staffmembers said.
(Reuters 10:50 PM ET 09/17/2003)

Mo
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President George W. Bush backed a controversial Air Force plan to
lease BOEING 767 aircraft as refueling tankers despite criticism
from Congress, according to an interview. "I do support it," he
said in an interview with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and
other regional newspapers. Senate Armed Services Committee
Chairman John Warner, a Virginia Republican, and Carl Levin of
Michigan, the panel's top Democrat, have asked Defense
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to consider slashing the Air Force
proposal to lease and then buy 100 767s for $22.4 billion. The
senators have suggested leasing no more than 25 767s while
getting the rest of any needed tankers through standard
purchase procedures. Air Force Secretary James Roche said the
Air Force was still working on a lease-to-own deal, a possible
reference to the up to 25 aircraft that Warner and Levin have
suggested.
(Reuters 01:34 PM ET 09/17/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=865...a&s=rb0309 17

======================================== ========================


On Sat, 13 Sep 2003 15:18:18 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Sen. John McCain said that BOEING CO. appeared to have improperly
slanted the Pentagon process that led to its troubled $22.4
billion plan to lease then sell modified refueling tankers to
the Air Force. "To the extent that Boeing did so, its conduct
might have constituted an organizational conflict of interest
or anti-competitive behavior," he said in pressing Joseph
Schmitz, the Defense Department inspector general, to expand an
inquiry into the matter. In a separate letter, McCain, a member
of the Armed Services Committee, called on Defense Secretary
Donald Rumsfeld to provide all records relating to the lease
proposal from both Air Force Secretary James Roche and the
Pentagon's acting chief weapons buyer, Michael Wynne.
(Reuters 08:38 PM ET 09/11/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 10 Sep 2003 19:35:53 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

The U.S. Air Force on Monday said it expected to respond by early
next week to a letter from the Senate Armed Services Committee
proposing a scaled-down lease of 25 BOEING CO. 767s tankers.
"We're in the process of preparing our letter," said Air Force
spokeswoman Gloria Cales. "We should have our response pulled
together later this week or early next week." Cales gave no
details, but Air Force acquisitions chief Marvin Sambur last
week said it would be "significantly more expensive" to lease
fewer airplanes, due to lost volume discounts and the impact of
inflation. Once the Air Force completed its response, it would
go to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for approval, she said.
(Reuters 06:17 PM ET 09/08/2003)

Mo
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On Sat, 06 Sep 2003 11:43:43 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Sen. John McCain, who has criticized the cost of a U.S. Air Force
proposal to lease BOEING CO. 767s as refueling tankers, said on
Friday he would press Air Force Secretary James Roche and other
top Pentagon officials to hand over all records on the deal.
"We'll be asking for as much information as we can get," McCain
said in a telephone interview, 1 day after the Senate Armed
Services Committee on which he serves delayed an expected vote
on a $22.4 billion lease-to-buy plan.
(Reuters 04:23 PM ET 09/05/2003)

Mo
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===================================== ===========================


On Fri, 05 Sep 2003 17:20:17 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

The Pentagon's Inspector General announced a formal investigation
into whether an Air Force official improperly shared data with
BOEING CO., raising new questions about a $22.4 billion Air
Force deal to lease, then buy 100 767 tankers. Sen. John McCain
cited the investigation and once again blasted the proposed
lease deal at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing, while Alaska
Republican Sen. Ted Stevens underscored what he called the
urgency of quickly replacing the Air Force's aging fleet of
KC-135 tankers due to increased wartime use. McCain said
documents provided by Chicago-based Boeing, the Air Force and
the Pentagon which prompted the investigation showed an
"extremely aggressive sales pitch" for the deal.
(Reuters 04:11 PM ET 09/03/2003)

Mo
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Darleen Druyun, a former Air Force official, offered as early as
October 2001 to meet with investors to stress the low risk of a
deal for the Air Force to lease Boeing tankers, a BOEING CO.
memorandum shows. The Pentagon's Inspector General on Wednesday
launched a formal investigation into whether the Air Force
shared proprietary data with Boeing, an inquiry defense
officials said was focused on Druyun, who joined Boeing in
January 2003 after retiring from the Air Force in November
2002. Boeing denies it received any proprietary data during the
negotiations, and Druyun had declined interview requests. The
company insists Druyun has not been involved in the lease
negotiations since joining the company, adhering firmly to
federal rules for former defense officials. Pentagon
investigators will try to determine if Druyun overstepped her
bounds in those discussions, but congressional sources said it
was clear from a series of emails provided to lawmakers by
Boeing that she played a key role early in the Air Force's
negotiations with Boeing.
(Reuters 08:12 PM ET 09/03/2003)

Mo
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Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner said his
panel would not rush to a vote on a controversial Air Force
plan to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767 refueling tankers, which has
been dogged by questions about its cost and propriety. "We owe
an obligation to the taxpayers to very carefully assess this
issue," the Virginia Republican said at the opening of a
hearing into the $22.4 billion Air Force proposal to lease and
then buy 100 aerial tankers. Warner said members of his panel
would hold discussions in a closed hearing after taking
testimony from witnesses before he would schedule a vote.
(Reuters 10:26 AM ET 09/04/2003)

Mo
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The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee has asked Defense
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to look at leasing just one quarter
of the 100 BOEING CO. 767s sought by the Air Force as refueling
tankers, officials said. The committee will postpone a vote on
the Air Force's plan until it gets a Pentagon analysis, the
officials said.
(Reuters 05:05 PM ET 09/04/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 03 Sep 2003 03:45:48 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Dozens of email exchanges among BOEING CO., the Air Force and the
Pentagon released on Saturday raised fresh questions about a
controversial $22.5 billion deal to lease, then buy 100 Boeing
767 tankers. The documents were among more than 8,000 provided
to the Senate Commerce Committee as it investigated a deal its
chairman, Sen. John McCain describes as a "military-industrial
rip-off" and a government bailout of Boeing, whose commercial
aircraft sales slumped after the September 2001 hijack attacks.
The documents contain no "smoking guns," congressional sources
say, but they show a close relationship between Boeing and Air
Force officials, including Air Force Secretary James Roche, as
well as details of a rival bid by Airbus SA.
(Reuters 05:11 PM ET 08/30/2003)

Mo
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Critics of a $22.4 billion Air Force proposal to lease, then buy,
100 Boeing 767s as refueling tankers plan to raise financing and
cost concerns at a Senate hearing on Wednesday in a final bid to
block the deal. Defense analysts predict tough questions in the
Senate Commerce Committee and other hearings this week, but say
the need to replace the Air Force's KC-135 tankers, which are on
average 43 years old, will ultimately win the votes needed for
approval. Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, chairman of the
Commerce Committee, blasts the deal as a government bailout of
BOEING CO., whose commercial aircraft sales slumped after the
September 2001 hijack attacks. The Congressional Budget Office,
the General Accounting Office and several government watchdog
groups are also skeptical of the deal, which has already won
needed approval from three of four congressional committees.
(Reuters 05:06 PM ET 09/02/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=860...a&s=rb0309 02

=================================== =============================


On Mon, 01 Sep 2003 16:12:34 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


BOEING CO. rejected published reports that it might have obtained
rival bidder Airbus SAS's proprietary information while
negotiating a proposed $22.5 billion refueling tanker
lease-purchase agreement with the U.S. Air Force. "Boeing
believes we did not receive any proprietary information from
any official on any subject throughout the entire tanker
lease-negotiation process," said Doug Kennett, a spokesman for
the company. Earlier in the day, the Seattle
Post-Intelligencer, citing an unnamed source, reported what it
called new allegations that a senior Air Force official had
"provided Boeing with proprietary information" about Airbus's
offer to supply its own aircraft and modify them for the
refueling mission. The French-German aerospace firm that
controls Airbus said its response to the U.S. Air Force's
original request for tanker bids was "proprietary in nature and
was furnished to the Air Force in confidence."
(Reuters 01:31 PM ET 08/29/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=859...a&s=rb0308 29

================================== ==============================


On Mon, 01 Sep 2003 15:07:06 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :



-------------------------------------------------------------------
AVflash Volume 9, Number 36a September 1, 2003
-------------------------------------------------------------------

BOEING TO FACE SENATE HEARING ON TANKER LEASE
Boeing is under scrutiny, and the heat is about to intensify on
Wednesday, when a hearing will be held by the Senate Commerce
Committee about the planemaker's $21-billion leasing deal with the
U.S. Air Force for 100 B767 aerial refueling tankers. A report issued
last week by the Congressional Budget Office concluded that "the
proposed transaction would essentially be a purchase of the tankers by
the federal government but at a cost greater than would be incurred
under the normal appropriation and procurement process." The Seattle
Post-Intelligencer reported Friday that Boeing may have had improper
access to information about Airbus's competing proposal for the tanker
deal. Boeing denied that allegation. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a
longtime vocal critic of the lease -- which he has termed "corporate
welfare" for Boeing -- will preside over the hearing. Boeing has
already been in trouble for "industrial espionage" this summer.
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#185597



On Wed, 27 Aug 2003 16:15:04 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The U.S. Congressional Budget Office said the U.S. Air Force's
plan to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767s as refueling tankers will
cost $1.3 billion to $2 billion more than an outright purchase.
The congressional agency said the proposed lease also failed to
meet four out of six conditions set for government leases by
the White House Office of Management and Budget. In a report
published on its web site, CBO said on average, the Air Force
would spent $161 million for each new refueling tanker in 2002
dollars, compared to a cost of $131 million for an outright
purchase. Two Senate committee plan hearings on the deal next
week. The Air Force has said the deal would be about $150
million more costly than a purchase, but say leasing is
preferable since it would allow the military to begin replacing
its aging fleet of KC-135 refueling tanker far sooner.
(Reuters 04:27 PM ET 08/26/2003)

Mo
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On Tue, 29 Jul 2003 14:37:39 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :



A key panel in the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday
approved Air Force plans to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767 refueling
tankers, saying the lease would tie up less money in coming
years than a purchase. "(The tanker leasing proposal) allows us
to replace the aging fleet more quickly, while retaining an
essential combat capability over the next several decades,"
Rep. Duncan Hunter, chair of the House Armed Services
Committee, said in a statement late on Friday. "For this
reason, I am endorsing the proposal by the Secretary of Defense
to lease 100 KC-767 aerial refueling tankers from the Boeing
Corporation. The required notification will be sent this
evening."
(Reuters 01:58 AM ET 07/26/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=846...a&s=rb0307 26

=============================== =================================

On Fri, 25 Jul 2003 10:51:58 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The General Accounting Office raised questions about U.S. Air
Force plans to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767 refueling tankers,
saying the purchase cost of the planes after the 6-year lease
was higher than that reported by the military. GAO's $173.5
million per plane price is substantially higher than the $138.4
million -- $131 million plus $7.4 million for financing costs --
cited by the Air Force, said Neal Curtin, director of defense
capabilities for the congressional investigative agency. Curtin
told the House Armed Services Committee he also had concerns
about the "special purpose entity" created to own the aircraft
and lease them to the Air Force. The Air Force has already won
the approval of the House and Senate Appropriations committees,
and says it hopes to move forward on the deal by September.
(Reuters 10:51 AM ET 07/23/2003)

Mo
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On Tue, 15 Jul 2003 10:02:11 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

BOEING CO. said a controversial plan to lease 100 tanker aircraft
to the U.S. Air Force would offer good value and speed badly
needed planes into service. An Air Force analysis delivered to
Congress last Friday showed leasing could cost as much as $1.9
billion more than a straight purchase, more than 10% of the
proposed $17.2 billion deal, which would include an option to
buy for another $4 billion. Critics including Republican Sen.
John McCain of Arizona have blasted the deal as a
taxpayer-funded handout to Boeing, which has been badly hurt by
a slump in orders for its commercial jets since the Sept. 11,
2001 hijack attacks. But Air Force and Boeing officials argue
that the tanker fleet, with an average age of 43 years,
urgently needs an upgrade, saying the maintenance savings from
the 100 proposed new aircraft would be worth $5 billion.
(Reuters 03:24 PM ET 07/14/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=840...a&s=rb0307 14

============================= ===================================


On Mon, 07 Jul 2003 10:19:06 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :



-------------------------------------------------------------------
AVflash Volume 9, Number 28a July 7, 2003
-------------------------------------------------------------------

BOEING GETS AID FUNDS?...
It's the U.S.'s largest exporter and by far its largest aerospace
company, so when Boeing stamps its feet, the ground shakes under most
of us. Lately the Chicago-headquartered manufacturer has been
attracting the attention of critics who claim Boeing is drawing too
much from the government trough. The Citizens Against Government Waste
(CAGW) has formally asked the House Armed Services Subcommittee to
oppose a $21 billion deal for Boeing to lease 100 767 aerial tankers
to the Air Force. The CAGW claims upgrading the existing fleet of 127
707-based KC-135s would cost $3.8 billion and it also points out that
after leasing the 767s for 10 years the planes go back to Boeing. The
company is also (according to some) seeing some extremely generous
offers from states and towns as it dangles the carrot of 1,000 jobs to
be won by the location that will build its new 7E7 Dreamliner.
http://www.avweb.com/newswire/9_28a/...85269-1.html#2
------------------------------------------------------------------



On Thu, 26 Jun 2003 01:07:00 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The Pentagon is working on an amendment to the proposed fiscal
2004 defense budget as a result of its plan to lease 100 BOEING
CO. 767s as refueling tankers, a top Air Force official said
Tuesday. Air Force Lt. Gen. Michael Zettler, deputy chief of
staff for installations and logistics, gave no details about
the amount of the request when he testified to the House Armed
Forces Committee's subcommittee on projection forces. The
hearing was the first of several expected on the controversial
proposed $16 billion lease agreement aimed at starting to
replace the Air Force's fleet of 543 KC-135 refueling tankers,
which average 42 years in age.
(Reuters 06:50 PM ET 06/24/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 18 Jun 2003 20:15:49 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Sen. John McCain, who has called a U.S. military contract with
BOEING CO. a "rip-off," sent a letter to Boeing Chief Executive
Philip Condit requesting documents related to the deal, The Wall
Street Journal reported. McCain, the chair of the U.S. Senate's
Commerce Committee, is seeking all communication between Boeing
and government officials related to the lease, as well as
documents from Boeing's interactions with commercial and
foreign government customers. A representative of Boeing could
not immediately be reached for comment, but a spokesman told
the Journal that Boeing received the letter and planned a
response. Critics of the deal have called on U.S. lawmakers to
delay approval of a $16 billion deal in which the Air Force
will lease planes from Boeing to replace its aging fleet of
refueling aircraft.
(Reuters 05:53 AM ET 06/17/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=829...a&s=rb0306 17



On Thu, 12 Jun 2003 13:33:18 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Seven independent groups blasted a $16 billion BOEING CO. lease
deal with the Air Force as "a profligate waste of taxpayer
dollars" and said lawmakers should delay its approval until a
criminal investigation into another Boeing contract is
completed. Boeing, anticipating the letter, on Monday bought
full-page advertisements in major U.S. newspapers, admitting
its employees acted improperly during a fierce competition with
LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP. for a $2 billion rocket deal. But Boeing
Chairman and Chief Executive Phil Condit said the company had
taken appropriate action after it learned of the errors and
would not tolerate unethical behavior. The Project on
Government Oversight, which also signed the letter, rejected
Condit's statement and said it had documented 36 cases of
misconduct or alleged misconduct by Boeing workers between 1990
and 2002, resulting in about $348 million in fines or penalties,
restitution and settlement fees.
(Reuters 01:00 AM ET 06/10/2003)

Mo
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On Thu, 29 May 2003 13:11:07 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


U.S. senators will hold a hearing in early June on a $16 billion
plan for BOEING CO. to lease 100 modified 767 jets to the Air
Force, but congressional aides and defense experts did not
expect the deal to run into last-minute problems on Capitol
Hill. Despite the Bush administration's approval of the lease,
defense experts said they did not expect it to be the harbinger
of a new Pentagon preference for leasing military equipment.
"It's going to sail through Congress," said Loren Thompson,
head of the Virginia-based Lexington Institute. "I don't see it
being held up. The Air Force wants it, the administration wants
it and some very key people in both houses of Congress want it."
(Reuters 05:19 PM ET 05/27/2003)

Mo
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On Sun, 25 May 2003 09:49:28 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


The White House budget office said that scant headway had been
made as far as it was concerned toward a proposed
multibillion-dollar Air Force tanker-lease deal with BOEING CO.
despite a string of high-level meetings. "OMB (Office of
Management and Budget) doesn't see a lot of progress since last
week," said spokesman Trent Duffy. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul
Wolfowitz discussed a revised proposal Tuesday night with both
the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer, Edward Aldridge, and Air
Force secretary James Roche. Wolfowitz is "taking the proposed
tanker lease under advisement," Cheryl Irwin, a Pentagon
spokeswoman, said. She said she did not know how long a
decision might take. The deal has been under discussion since
early last year.
(Reuters 06:53 PM ET 05/21/2003)

Mo
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Top Pentagon officials late on Tuesday began reviewing the Air
Force's plans to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767s as refueling tankers
after the company further lowered its price, sources familiar
with the agreement said. After nonstop negotiations, Boeing had
agreed to lower the price for each of the modified 767-200ER
planes below the figure of $136 million reported last week. The
price of the overall lease deal -- which critics have blasted as
corporate welfare for a company hard hit by a slump in
commercial sales -- was now below $17 billion, including the
terms of the 6-year lease and an Air Force purchase at the end
of the lease, the sources said. The initial deal called for the
Air Force to pay $17 billion for the lease, and $4 billion for
purchase at the end.
(Reuters 05:35 PM ET 05/20/2003)

Mo
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On Tue, 13 May 2003 02:14:28 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


BOEING CO. has agreed to reduce by 6% the price of a multibillion
deal to lease 100 767 aircraft to the Air Force as refueling
tankers, defense officials said. The officials, who asked not
to be named, said Boeing officials had agreed to trim the price
of each 767-ER200 aircraft by $9 million to about $141 million
each. The officials said a decision on the deal -- which has
been in the works for over 18 months -- could come soon. But
they said defense officials were at pains to review the
agreement very carefully, since it marked the first time the
U.S. military would lease -- rather than buy -- such a large
number of aircraft. The lease had been expected to cost $17
billion over 6 years, with the Air Force to pay an additional
$4 billion to buy the planes at the end of the term.
(Reuters 02:01 PM ET 05/12/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=814...a&s=rb0305 12

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On Fri, 09 May 2003 01:13:04 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:

The Defense Department still has issues to resolve before
endorsing a multibillion dollar U.S. Air Force proposal to
lease 100 BOEING CO. 767s as refueling tankers, the prime
congressional mover behind the plan said Wednesday. "I'm
talking to all parties, trying to move this thing forward --
and we're still not quite there yet," said Rep. Norm Dicks, the
Washington Democrat who spearheaded the law authorizing the
unusual leasing arrangement. The Air Force and Boeing have been
working on the proposed lease for more than a year. Their
tentative deal involved a $17 billion lease over 6 years, with
an option to purchase the aircraft for another $4 billion at
the end of the lease. By some accounts, the Defense Department
had been expected to sign off any day now following a fresh
round of meetings on Friday and over the weekend that
reportedly lowered the cost to the Air Force.
(Reuters 05:39 PM ET 05/07/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 07 May 2003 17:40:54 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:



Pentagon lawyers are taking a final look at a proposed
multibillion Air Force lease of 100 BOEING CO. 767 jets as
refueling tankers and the deal could be approved later Tuesday,
defense officials said. But sources familiar with the
negotiations warned the deal -- which critics blast as a
corporate handout to Boeing -- has been in the works for more
than 18 months and last-minute issues have delayed its approval
more than once. Negotiators from Chicago-based Boeing, the Air
Force and the Office of the Secretary of Defense succeeded over
the weekend in narrowing the differences between the cost of the
deal as estimated by the Air Force and the independent Institute
for Defense Analyses, the officials said. Under the terms of the
original deal, the Air Force would spend $17 billion to lease
the 100 planes for 6 years, paying an additional $4 billion to
buy them at the end of the term.
(Reuters 12:04 PM ET 05/06/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=811...a&s=rb0305 06

==================== ============================================

On Sat, 03 May 2003 04:38:27 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:



BOEING CO. said its plan to lease 100 767 commercial jets to the
U.S. Air Force as refueling tankers could generate as much as
$2.8 billion in support revenues over the projected life of the
proposed $17 billion lease. John Sams, the Boeing official who
negotiated the deal with the air force, said each aircraft was
projected to spin off $4.8 million a year during the projected
6-year lease, assuming 750 hours of flying time. This figure
would include all spare parts, training and simulators, the
company said, and total $28.8 million per tanker over the 6
years. If the leases were extended, Boeing's take would rise
correspondingly. Under a tentative deal awaiting U.S. Defense
Department's approval, the air force would have an option to
buy the modified 767s at the end of the lease for a combined $4
billion.
(Reuters 11:46 PM ET 05/01/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=810...a&s=rb0305 01

=================== =============================================

On Wed, 23 Apr 2003 00:39:24 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:



Top Pentagon and White House officials on May 2 will revisit a
controversial $17 billion plan for the Air Force to lease 100
BOEING CO. 767 jets as refueling tankers, sources familiar with
the matter said on Monday. Boeing and Air Force officials have
been pressing for months to win approval for the unique leasing
arrangement that would also give the Air Force the option to buy
the jets for $4 billion at the end of the lease. The deal is
complicated because the government generally buys rather than
leases equipment like tankers. It has also sparked criticism
from some lawmakers, the Office of Management and Budget and
independent watchdog agencies.
(Reuters 05:34 PM ET 04/21/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=804...a&s=rb0304 21

================== ==============================================

On Mon, 14 Apr 2003 18:24:19 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


BOEING CO.'s $17 billion plan to lease 100 of its 767 jets to the
U.S. Air Force as refueling tankers faces delay after U.S.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld sought information on
purchasing some of the planes, sources familiar with the matter
said. Also being informally examined is how the price per plane
could drop if another 80 to 100 of the tankers were to be
ordered, the sources said. Boeing and Air Force officials have
been hoping for months to get final clearance to proceed with
the unique leasing arrangement that would also give the Air
Force the option to buy the jets for $4 billion at the end of
the lease. Pentagon spokesman Glenn Flood dismissed any talk of
more than 100 aircraft. "The only plan is for 100. Any increase
above 100 would have to be approved by Congress and the White
House," he said.
(Reuters 05:06 PM ET 04/10/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=800...a&s=rb0304 10


On Tue, 11 Mar 2003 01:13:00 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is to review a $21 billion Air
Force plan to lease modified 767 BOEING CO. tankers that has
come under fire for its cost and financing, according to
sources familiar with the deal. Defense Undersecretary Edward
"Pete" Aldridge and Pentagon Comptroller Dov Zakheim, who make
up a panel that reviews leasing arrangements like the proposed
Boeing deal, are due to brief Rumsfeld. He was not expected to
approve or reject the deal at Monday's meeting, although
sources close to the negotiations said they expected him to
make a decision soon. Under the plan, the Air Force would pay
$17 billion to lease 100 planes to start replacing the
service's fleet of 40-year-old KC-135 tankers. Financial
service companies would set up a "special purpose entity" to
float bonds to buy the tankers from Boeing, and lease them to
the military.
(Reuters 05:33 PM ET 03/07/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=785...a&s=rb0303 07

On Thu, 13 Feb 2003 19:14:37 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
fjrn4vkjedt414f :


BOEING CO. expects a U.S. decision in the next 2 weeks on a
$17-billion tanker lease contract, a senior company official
said, adding that sales to the UK and others were also under
discussion. The world's largest aircraft maker aims to supply
100 tanker versions of its 767 commercial airliner to replace
the U.S. Air Force's ageing fleet of KC-135 tankers. "I'm
certain we'll have closure on it in the next two weeks," George
Muellner, Boeing senior VP for Air Force systems, told defense
reporters in London. "We've had dialogue with three or four
other countries, other than Italy and Japan," Muellner said.
Muellner said Japan had signed a deal this month and Australia
was interested. Italy signed a deal for four 767-based tankers
last month.
(Reuters 01:55 PM ET 01/29/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=768...a&s=rb0301 29


On Mon, 10 Feb 2003 03:57:25 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
4n8e4v8av75ot2 :


Top Pentagon officials aim to decide next week whether to allow
the Air Force to lease 100 modified 767 BOEING CO. tankers to
replace its ageing fleet, Defense Undersecretary Edward
Aldridge said. "It's hard ... It's a major investment,"
Aldridge said of the controversial $17 billion deal, which
would give the Air Force up to 12 new tankers in 2006 and all
100 by 2011. For an additional $4 billion the Air Force would
be able to purchase the jets outright at the end of the lease,
sources familiar with the deal have said. Aldridge, the
Pentagon's chief weapons buyer, favors innovative and flexible
approaches to defense procurement, and his office has
championed streamlined acquisitions rules aimed at getting
weapons to the services more quickly.
(Reuters 03:42 PM ET 02/07/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=773...a&s=rb0302 07

On Wed, 15 Jan 2003 01:12:47 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
d7d92v8q5sdku :


The U.S. Air Force hopes to win approval in Q1 2003 for a
controversi al contract to lease 100 767 commercial jets from
BOEING CO., sources familiar with the discussions said on
Monday. The $17 billion lease contract - aimed at replacing the
Air Force's aging fleet of KC-135 tankers -- has been in the
works for over a year and still requires approval by top
Pentagon officials and U.S. lawmakers, who raised questions
last year about the costs of an earlier version of the
contract. The deal now under discussion would give the Air
Force 11 to 12 new tankers in 2006, with all 100 to be
delivered by 2011. For an additional $4 billion, the Air Force
will be able to purchase the jets outright at the end of the
lease, according to sources familiar with the deal.
(Reuters 06:22 PM ET 01/13/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=759...a&s=rb0301 13

----------

On Sun, 17 Nov 2002 00:43:37 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
ifpdtuovlha5 :


BOEING CO. said it no longer expected to wrap up as early as next
month a proposed deal, valued at as much as $18 billion, to
lease 100 aerial refueling tankers to the U.S. Air Force.
Instead, it may take until early next year to reach agreement
with the Air Force, partly because of a new Congress taking
office in January, said Jim Albaugh, president and chief
executive of Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems unit. "We're
in final negotiations with the customer," he told reporters at
a briefing on the company's scheduled first launch of its Delta
4 rocket.
(Reuters 12:52 PM ET 11/14/2002)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=737...a&s=rb0211 14

============ ================================================== ==


On Sun, 10 Nov 2002 12:08:17 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
dvissu4135e :


BOEING CO. said its proposal to lease 100 aerial refueling
tankers would cost the U.S. Air Force about $17 billion, some
$10 billion less than previously estimated, with an option to
purchase the aircraft for another $4 billion. The current
estimate must still be scrutinized by the Pentagon's Cost
Analysis Improvement Group, but if accurate, it could ease
concern in Congress and at the White House over the initial
price tag of $26 billion to $28 billion. "It will turn out to
be more like the $17 to $18 billion we are talking about,"
Boeing's VP for airlift and tanker programs Howard Chambers
told Reuters by telephone. "Over the last six months we have
gotten more clarity."
(Reuters 03:08 PM ET 11/07/2002)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=734...a&s=rb0211 07

----------------------------------------------------------------

On Wed, 06 Nov 2002 15:26:33 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
i4disug2gp :



BOEING CO., still negotiating with the U.S. government, hopes to
close a key deal to lease modified 767 jetliners as refueling
tankers to the U.S. Air Force by year-end, a spokesman said.
The price under discussion is now $17 billion for 100 refueling
tankers, down from the originally estimated $26 billion that
failed to win approval in Washington, The Wall Street Journal
reported . Boeing, the second largest U.S. military contractor,
had hoped to close the deal long ago but has been thwarted by
concerns over price and the value of buying versus leasing. At
one point, rival airplane manufacturer Airbus of Europe was
also trying to win the deal.
(Reuters 11:42 AM ET 11/05/2002)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=732...a&s=rb0211 05




On Wed, 04 Sep 2002 01:41:34 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
d5panukhi :



GENERAL DYNAMICS CORP. said the U.S. Navy had given it and BOEING
CO. 30 days to pay $2.3 billion to settle an 11-year legal
battle over the Pentagon's abrupt cancellation of the Navy's
A-12 fighter jet. "General Dynamics regards this demand as an
unseeml y negotiating tactic, and an apparent effort to gain
advanta ge during settlement talks," the company said, noting
that it would seek an injunction in federal court if the
settlemen t talks failed to reach a result before the 30-day
deadlin e. General Dynamics, Boeing and the Navy were in intense
discussio ns this summer to settle the matter, with one proposal
calling for the companies to provide goods and services to the
Navy valued at more than $2.5 billion, including discounts on
F-18E/F fighter jets it plans to buy in the future.
(Reuter s 03:19 PM ET 09/03/2002)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=699...a&s=rb0209 03

========= ================================================== =====


On Thu, 08 Aug 2002 14:39:41 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
fj05lu8e :



Official s at the U.S. Air Force and aircraft manufacturer BOEING
CO. said on Tuesday they were still hammering out an agreement
to lease 100 commercial Boeing 767s and convert them to aerial
refuelin g tankers, despite new White House criticism of the
propos ed deal. White House Budget Director Mitchell Daniels
said in a recent letter he would not support any proposal that
cost taxpayers more than an outright purchase. "The Air Force
and Boeing are still in negotiations," said Air Force
spokeswo man Capt. Jessica Smith, noting the current fleet of
545 KC-135 tankers had an average age of 41 years. "We're
workin g to find the best deal for the taxpayers."
(Reute rs 05:53 PM ET 08/06/2002)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=687...a&s=rb0208 06

----------------------------------------------------------------

On Thu, 18 Jul 2002 17:19:32 GMT, "W. D. Allen"
ballens (W. D. Allen) wrote in Message ID
EMCZ8.6 :

More like an Air Farce, not a Boeing, boondoggle! Can't sell something to a
custome r when they do not want it!! Get it right or forget it!

WDA

end

"Larr y Dighera" wrote in message
news:8j ...

BOEING CO. CFO Mike Sears said the aerospace company expects to
sign a deal to lease air refueling tankers to the U.S. Air
Force by the end of summer. Congress authorized the Air Force
in December to negotiate a leasing deal with Boeing for 100
converted 767s to replace some aging KC-135 tankers. White
House and congressional budget experts had said it would be
cheaper to buy new planes or refurbish the old tankers than
sign a 10-year lease with an estimated cost of $26 billion to
$37 billion.
(Reuters 10:44 AM ET 07/17/2002)

Mo

http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=674...a&s=rb0207 17


On Fri, 17 May 2002 03:34:14 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
:

----------------------------------------------------------------
Boeing Co (BA) (45.00 +0.45)

Replacing the oldest U.S. refueling aircraft remains an Air Force
priority, the service's secretary and chief of staff told
Congress Wednesday amid controversy over a proposed lease of
commercial aircraft from BOEING CO. The Air Force said concern
about the 43-year-old KC-135Es in its fleet had been heightened
by the increased pace of aerial refueling after the Sept. 11
attacks. Air Force Secretary James Roche rejected suggestions
that the Air Force could get by with its current refueling
fleet for 15 years or more. Replacement needs to start as soon
as possible, the Air Force said in a separate letter replying
to criticism of the proposed lease deal.
(Reuters 04:34 PM ET 05/15/2002)

Mo

http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=643...a&s=rb0205 15
----------------------------------------------------------------


On Tue, 14 May 2002 00:55:42 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
:

----------------------------------------------------------------
Boeing Co (BA) (44.28 +0.65)

The Senate Armed Services Committee moved on Friday to boost
congressional oversight of a possible $26 billion Air Force
deal to lease BOEING CO. wide-body jets and turn them into
refueling tankers. Sen. John McCain said he was clearing the
way for public hearings on what he has described as a potential
taxpayer "rip-off." A measure adopted by the panel would force
the secretary of the Air Force to get specific funding for any
lease of Boeing 767 tankers -- a process that could delay any
deal to the next budget cycle if enacted into law.
(Reuters 05:15 PM ET 05/10/2002)

Mo

http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=641...1a&s=rb0205 1
0



On Thu, 09 May 2002 15:59:30 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
:


Boeing Co (BA) (44.41 +1.27)

Plans for the U.S. Air Force to lease BOEING CO. 767 commercial
aircraft as aerial refueling tankers is an expensive solution
that could actually cut overall fuel capacity, according to a
White House analysis obtained on Tuesday. Office of Management
and Budget Director Mitch Daniels said leasing the 100 767s to
start replacing a 40-year-old fleet of KC-135 tankers would
cost up to $26 billion and result in a slightly smaller overall
fuel capacity. A $3.2 billion upgrade of 126 KC-135s would
increase fleet capacity by a similar amount but the Air Force
had not chosen this route, Daniels said in a letter to leasing
critic, Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain.
(Reuters 07:52 PM ET 05/07/2002)

Mo

http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=639...0925a&s=rb0205
07

On 18 Apr 2002 22:00:27 -0700, (Blain Shinno) (Blain
Shinno) wrote in Message ID
m:

Boeing expects to begin delivering aerial refueling tankers
based on its 767 wide-body jetliner, including some for Italian
and Japanese forces, by late 2004, with some 100 tankers for the
U.S. Air Force rolling off the line beginning in 2005.

I wonder how many tankers will be delivered each year. Seems a little
long to wait for leased tankers. I wonder when all of them will be
delivered? For $26 billion the USAF better have the option of buying
the tankers for $1 at the end of the lease. And how does the lease
impact the future buy of tankers? When will 767 derivatives start
rolling off the line? Following the delivery of leased tankers, or
after? How is that going to impact the budget?



  #27  
Old November 19th 03, 12:32 AM
Larry Dighera
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


The Air Force plans to fund from its own budget the full
multibillion-dollar acquisition of 100 modified BOEING CO.
refueling planes and not ask any of the other armed services to
chip in, the Air Force's top military officer said. Gen. John
Jumper, the chief of staff, said he had no plans to lean on the
Army, Navy and Marine Corps -- a possibility the General
Accounting Office, Congress's investigative and audit arm, had
cited unnamed Air Force officials as raising. Among systems
that could be set back, other Air Force officials have said,
are LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP.'s F/A-22 multirole fighter and the
F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The Senate gave the Air Force final
congressional approval Wednesday to lease 20 modified 767s as
tankers and buy up to 80 others -- a deal projected by the
Pentagon to cost $27.6 billion through fiscal 2017.
(Reuters 04:44 PM ET 11/13/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=889...a&s=rb0311 13

================================================== ==============

Key senators on Wednesday warned the U.S. Defense Department to
limit its order of BOEING CO. jetliners to the number
authorized under a law that funds the replacement of Air Force
refueling tankers. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman
John Warner, a Virginia Republican, made the point as the
Senate gave final approval to the tanker acquisition under
which the Air Force would lease 20 and buy up to 80 aircraft
used to fuel warplanes in midair. At issue could be billions of
dollars in potential savings to taxpayers. Originally, the Air
Force had sought to acquire all 100 modified 767s through
leases, with options to buy at the end of the planned 6-year
lease term. Some lawmakers opposed that plan, calling it too
expensive.
(Reuters 07:24 PM ET 11/12/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=889...a&s=rb0311 12

----------------------------------------------------------------
BOEING CO., banned in July from launching government satellites
for illegally acquiring a competitor's documents, on Tuesday
unveiled a new internal ethics office reporting directly to
company Chairman and CEO Phil Condit. Boeing said Senior VP
Bonnie Soodik would lead the new organization, assuming
responsibility for internal auditing, ethics, import-export
compliance, foreign sales consultants and a new U.S. securities
law holding managers more accountable for their actions. The
move comes as Boeing continues to wait for the Air Force to
lift its suspension of three Boeing units from government work,
a move that had been expected months ago. The Pentagon's
inspector general is also investigating whether Darleen Druyun,
a former Air Force official who now works for Boeing, improperly
shared proprietary data with Boeing during negotiations on a 767
tanker lease deal.
(Reuters 06:02 PM ET 11/11/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=888...a&s=rb0311 11



On Sat, 08 Nov 2003 17:05:13 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Congressional conferees have approved a multibillion-dollar
compromise plan for the Air Force to acquire 100 BOEING CO.
refueling aircraft, leasing the first 20 of them, the House of
Representatives Armed Services Committee said. Winding up a
2-year battle over the program, the House and Senate armed
services panels agreed the remaining 80 would be bought. The
leases will begin in fiscal 2006, which starts Oct. 1, 2005,
and the purchases will be through fiscal 2014. The deal was
part of the fiscal 2004 Defense Authorization Act, which
earmarks $400 billion for the Defense Department and national
security programs of the Energy Department. Under the revised
plan for tankers, which refuel other warplanes in mid-air, the
Defense Department will be required to conduct and report on an
independent assessment of the condition of the aging fleet of
KC-135 tankers.
(Reuters 10:08 AM ET 11/07/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=887...a&s=rb0311 07


On Fri, 07 Nov 2003 19:34:49 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The Pentagon, bowing to critics, said it would lease just 20
planes under a multibillion-dollar plan to acquire 100 BOEING
CO. jetliners for use as refueling tankers, buying the rest
outright. If approved by lawmakers, as now expected, the deal
would mark the first lease, rather than purchase, of a major
weapons system. It has roiled Congress for 2 years over charges
the Air Force was giving Boeing a sweetheart deal at taxpayer
expense. Originally, the Air Force had sought to lease all 100
tankers, derived from Boeing's commercial 767, and then planned
to buy them in a deal costing at least $22.4 billion through
2017. Under the new proposal, the Air Force would start
replacing its KC-135E tanker fleet, which average 43 years old,
with leased KC-767A planes tankers in 2006.
(Reuters 03:16 PM ET 11/06/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=887...a&s=rb0311 06

----------------------------------------------------------------

The White House said a deal is needed quickly that would let the
Air Force acquire new BOEING 767s as refueling planes. "There's
an urgent need to make this happen sooner rather than later,"
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said as congressional
negotiations continue over an original proposal to lease and
then buy 100 planes.
(Reuters 10:17 AM ET 11/06/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=886...a&s=rb0311 06

----------------------------------------------------------------

On Fri, 31 Oct 2003 21:14:48 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said he would "dearly love"
Congress to strike a deal that would let the Air Force acquire
new BOEING CO. 767s as refueling planes. He seemed to signal
acceptance of a scaled-back lease proposed by the Senate Armed
Services Committee, alone among four congressional oversight
panels to spurn the original plan, valued at more than $22
billion, to lease then buy 100 planes. "Political compromise is
what we do when the marbles have been divided and it's to be
expected," Rumsfeld told reporters at the Pentagon. The Senate
panel has proposed acquiring up to 100 planes by leasing 20 and
buying the rest -- a compromise formula designed to save
billions.
(Reuters 04:28 PM ET 10/30/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=883...a&s=rb0310 30

=============================================== =================
A study released on Tuesday raises questions about a U.S. Air
Force proposal to give BOEING CO. a $5.3 billion contract to
maintain 100 767 refueling tankers, the latest congressional
report to criticize the multibillion-dollar lease proposal.
Sen. John McCain, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee and
a vocal critic of the $24.3 billion lease and buy deal, released
the Congressional Research Service report challenging the Air
Force's assertion that Boeing is "uniquely qualified" to
provide initial maintenance support. CRS said many other
companies routinely serviced 767s, and Boeing was not "the
only, or even the largest, organization capable of handling the
maintenance needs of the 767." Air Force Secretary James Roche
told the Senate Armed Services Committee in a letter dated Oct.
9 that it made sense to give the maintenance contract to Boeing
since much of the 767 engineering data was proprietary. But CRS
said much of this data could be licensed to a third party to
handle maintenance.
(Reuters 06:57 PM ET 10/28/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=882...a&s=rb0310 28

----------------------------------------------------------------

On Tue, 28 Oct 2003 03:44:41 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Bad blood between the U.S. Congress and the Pentagon has taken a
toll on BOEING CO.'s multibillion-dollar drive to lease
jetliners to the Air Force as refueling planes, congressional
officials and private analysts said on Friday. The Boeing issue
laid bare growing strains between Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld and his top lieutenants, on the one hand, and the two
most powerful Republicans on the Senate Armed Services
Committee, on the other. Among other things, the chill reflects
pique at what officials on both sides of the aisle deem
Rumsfeld's sometimes-dismissive approach to Congress, for
instance on the situation in post-war Iraq. But it also
reflects perceived slights to Armed Services Committee Chairman
John Warner of Virginia, Congress's top overseer of the Defense
Department, and the panel's second-ranking Republican, John
McCain of Arizona.
(Reuters 06:20 PM ET 10/24/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=881...a&s=rb0310 24

============================================== ==================


The White House budget office discounted Thursday a key senator's
request to "revisit" its endorsement of a multibillion-dollar
Air Force plan to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767s as refueling
planes. The Office of Management and Budget will review Senate
Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain's written request sent
Wednesday, said a spokesman. President Bush said on Sept. 16
that he backed the proposed lease to start replacing aging
KC-135 tankers. The Air Force says the lease would give it
needed capability sooner than it could buy outright without
pinching other combat priorities. McCain has denounced the
proposed lease, designed to lead to purchases, as a bonanza for
Boeing and a bad deal for taxpayers that does not comply with
the fiscal 2002 legislation that authorized it.
(Reuters 05:00 PM ET 10/23/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=880...a&s=rb0310 23

============================================== ==================


The Senate Commerce Committee plans another hearing next week on
a controversial multibillion-dollar Air Force proposal to lease
100 BOEING CO. 767 tankers, as the Senate Armed Services
Committee continues weigh its options, including approving a
scaled-down lease. The armed services panel, chaired by
Virginia Republican Sen. John Warner, is the last of four
committees that must approve the lease deal -- which the Air
Force says it needs to begin replacing its fleet of aging
midair refueling tankers without incurring significant upfront
funding costs. Warner is under considerable political pressure
to approve the lease deal, but aides said the latest reports
only underscored his concerns about the higher cost of leasing.
(Reuters 06:49 PM ET 10/21/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=878...a&s=rb0310 21

----------------------------------------------------------------

On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 01:04:49 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The U.S. Air Force urged lawmakers to approve its plan to lease
100 BOEING CO. 767 refueling planes despite three new
congressional reports poking holes in what would be the first
such rental of a major weapons system. "The Air Force is hoping
that the Senate Armed Services Committee will approve our
original proposal to lease 100 tankers," said a spokeswoman,
Major Karen Finn. "The Air Force really needs this capability."
The Armed Services Committee is alone among the four military
oversight panels that has yet to approve the deal, designed to
acquire the tankers without significant upfront funding that
would squeeze other combat priorities. The service defended the
lease a day after the Congressional Budget Office found
taxpayers could reap $6.7 billion in savings with an outright
purchase, which is standard procurement procedure for arms
systems.
(Reuters 04:21 PM ET 10/17/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=877...a&s=rb0310 17

============================================= ===================


On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 14:53:26 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

The top Democrat on the House of Representatives' Armed Services
Committee said he was having second thoughts on a $22.4 billion
Air Force plan to lease then buy BOEING Co. refueling planes,
citing studies that have challenged its financial soundness. "I
think it would be useful to bring members up to date on the many
reports and studies that have emerged since our hearings on the
issue," Rep. Ike Skelton of Missouri wrote panel chairman
Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., on Wednesday. Studies by the
Congressional Budget Office, General Accounting Office,
Institute for Defense Analyses and Congressional Research
Service have shown that acquiring the 100 modified Boeing 767
aircraft initially through a lease, as the Air Force hopes to
do, would cost $5.5 billion more than buying them outright.
(Reuters 12:53 PM ET 10/09/2003)

Mo
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The House of Representatives' Appropriations Committee voted to
press ahead with a $22.4 billion proposal to lease then buy
BOEING CO. 737s as Air Force refueling planes. But the move to
lease 100 modified 767s as mid-air tankers starting in 2006 --
identical to a Senate appropriations measure -- highlighted
misgivings about the deal among what appeared to be a growing
number of lawmakers. The panel shot down, 33 to 28, a rival
plan, jokingly introduced by its top Democrat, David Obey of
Wisconsin, that would have earmarked $14 billion to start
buying the aircraft outright rather than leasing them first.
"If you want to save the taxpayers money, the best way is to
buy them now," Obey said in bating colleagues to own up to the
lease's extra costs and exercise what he portrayed as fiscal
responsibility.
(Reuters 03:16 PM ET 10/09/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 18:16:49 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

New questions emerged about the personal ties between BOEING CO.
and Darleen Druyun, a former top Air Force official who got a
job with the company after helping negotiate a multibillion
dollar deal to lease Boeing 767s as airborne refueling tankers.
The National Legal and Policy Center, a conservative nonprofit
group opposing the lease deal, released public records that
show Druyun agreed to sell her Virginia home to a senior Boeing
attorney while still working for the Air Force as a procurement
official. She had been deputy assistant secretary for Air Force
acquisition and management. The group also said Druyun's
daughter and son-in-law both work for Boeing, a fact confirmed
by the Chicago-based company.
(Reuters 03:18 PM ET 10/07/2003)

Mo
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=========================================== =====================

On Sun, 05 Oct 2003 23:33:50 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

The nonpartisan U.S. Congressional Research Service raised new
doubts on Wednesday about a fresh Pentagon push to acquire
BOEING CO. 767 aircraft as midair refueling tankers through a
lease. The research service said the Defense Department's
latest proposal bolstered the case for purchasing the aircraft
outright, rather than leasing them first in a deal valued at
$22.4 billion. Earlier this month the Senate Armed Services
Committee put off what was to have been a final vote on the
lease proposal. Chairman John Warner, a Virginia Republican,
and the committee's top Democrat, Carl Levin of Michigan, asked
the Pentagon for data on leasing no more than 25 Boeing 767s,
down from the 100 sought by the Air Force.
(Reuters 07:46 PM ET 10/01/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 01 Oct 2003 23:01:27 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Air Force officials on Monday staunchly defended a $22.4 billion
air tanker lease agreement some critics say is a sweetheart
deal for BOEING CO. in the face of tough questions from Senate
aides. Air Force acquisitions chief Marvin Sambur and Lt. Gen.
Michael Zettler, deputy chief of staff for installations and
logistics, met with military legislative aides hoping to pave
the way for approval by the Senate Armed Services Committee of
the plan to lease then buy 100 Boeing 767 tankers. They held a
similar -- and equally contentious -- briefing for Senate
professional staffers on Friday, aides said. Despite the
last-minute push by the Air Force, Senate aides said they did
not expect the Senate Armed Services Committee to vote on the
controversial lease deal this week, putting off any action
until at least mid-October, after a one-week recess. The
committee is the final of four congressional panels to review
the deal. The other three have approved it.
(Reuters 08:08 PM ET 09/29/2003)

Mo
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========================================= =======================


On Fri, 26 Sep 2003 18:47:59 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Senate Armed Services Committee member John McCain, who helped
stall a $22.4 billion Air Force plan to lease then buy BOEING
CO. tankers, rejected as "non-responsive" a modified Defense
Department proposal. The Pentagon still has "not adequately
justified spending what it now acknowledges will be billions of
dollars more to acquire tankers through a lease," McCain, an
Arizona Republican, said in letters to the armed services
panel's leaders. McCain's new qualms could translate into
further delays for the tanker deal -- a plan to lease a major
weapons system for the first time rather than buy it outright.
(Reuters 04:53 PM ET 09/25/2003)

Mo
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======================================== ========================



The Pentagon's inspector general may issue a subpoena to BOEING
CO. and the U.S. Air Force for all written materials on a $22.4
billion deal to lease then buy 100 Boeing 767 tankers,
congressional and administration sources said on Monday. They
said Inspector General Joseph Schmitz is considering the
unusual move as he investigates possible impropriety in the
lease proposal that critics including U.S. Sen. John McCain
have blasted as a sweetheart deal for Boeing. The Pentagon's
in-house watchdog agency kicked off its investigation based on
documents provided by Boeing to Senate Commerce Committee
Chairman McCain, an Arizona Republican. But investigators,
including an FBI agent, want to see a complete and full record
of documents related to the case, the sources said.
(Reuters 05:40 PM ET 09/22/2003)

Mo
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Boeing Co (BA) (35.15 +0.26)

The Pentagon urged senators to approve a modified $22.4 billion
deal to lease, then buy, 100 BOEING CO. 767 tankers, seeking
authority to buy 26 of the tankers before their 6-year leases
expire to pare total program costs by $1.2 billion. Deputy
Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said buying the 26 tankers
early, between 2008 and 2010, would add $2.4 billion in initial
budget costs while lowering total program costs and allowing the
Air Force to immediately begin modernizing its 43-year-old fleet
of KC-135 tankers. "The optimum approach must balance the total
cost of the program, the additional funds needed ... and the
delivery schedule for the new capability," he told the Senate
Armed Services Committee, the last of four congressional panels
that must vote on the lease deal.
(Reuters 02:53 PM ET 09/23/2003)

Mo
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======================================== ========================


On Fri, 19 Sep 2003 14:44:14 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The Pentagon's inspector general has told Congress he plans a
formal investigation of possible impropriety involving the U.S.
Air Force's $22.4 billion proposal to lease then buy BOEING 767
aircraft as refueling tankers, a U.S. lawmaker said on
Wednesday. The inspector general, Joseph Schmitz, has concluded
that "sufficient credible information exists to warrant" a
formal investigation, said Sen. John McCain, an Arizona
Republican who has denounced the lease proposal as a sweetheart
deal for Boeing. "Up to now, it appears that the interests of
taxpayers have been subordinated to those of Boeing," McCain
said in disclosing the upgraded probe. In recent weeks, the
Pentagon's in-house watchdog has carried out a preliminary
inquiry into, among other things, whether an Air Force official
gave Boeing proprietary pricing data from Airbus, a rival for
the deal, Congressional staffmembers said.
(Reuters 10:50 PM ET 09/17/2003)

Mo
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President George W. Bush backed a controversial Air Force plan to
lease BOEING 767 aircraft as refueling tankers despite criticism
from Congress, according to an interview. "I do support it," he
said in an interview with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and
other regional newspapers. Senate Armed Services Committee
Chairman John Warner, a Virginia Republican, and Carl Levin of
Michigan, the panel's top Democrat, have asked Defense
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to consider slashing the Air Force
proposal to lease and then buy 100 767s for $22.4 billion. The
senators have suggested leasing no more than 25 767s while
getting the rest of any needed tankers through standard
purchase procedures. Air Force Secretary James Roche said the
Air Force was still working on a lease-to-own deal, a possible
reference to the up to 25 aircraft that Warner and Levin have
suggested.
(Reuters 01:34 PM ET 09/17/2003)

Mo
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======================================= =========================


On Sat, 13 Sep 2003 15:18:18 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Sen. John McCain said that BOEING CO. appeared to have improperly
slanted the Pentagon process that led to its troubled $22.4
billion plan to lease then sell modified refueling tankers to
the Air Force. "To the extent that Boeing did so, its conduct
might have constituted an organizational conflict of interest
or anti-competitive behavior," he said in pressing Joseph
Schmitz, the Defense Department inspector general, to expand an
inquiry into the matter. In a separate letter, McCain, a member
of the Armed Services Committee, called on Defense Secretary
Donald Rumsfeld to provide all records relating to the lease
proposal from both Air Force Secretary James Roche and the
Pentagon's acting chief weapons buyer, Michael Wynne.
(Reuters 08:38 PM ET 09/11/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 10 Sep 2003 19:35:53 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

The U.S. Air Force on Monday said it expected to respond by early
next week to a letter from the Senate Armed Services Committee
proposing a scaled-down lease of 25 BOEING CO. 767s tankers.
"We're in the process of preparing our letter," said Air Force
spokeswoman Gloria Cales. "We should have our response pulled
together later this week or early next week." Cales gave no
details, but Air Force acquisitions chief Marvin Sambur last
week said it would be "significantly more expensive" to lease
fewer airplanes, due to lost volume discounts and the impact of
inflation. Once the Air Force completed its response, it would
go to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for approval, she said.
(Reuters 06:17 PM ET 09/08/2003)

Mo
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On Sat, 06 Sep 2003 11:43:43 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Sen. John McCain, who has criticized the cost of a U.S. Air Force
proposal to lease BOEING CO. 767s as refueling tankers, said on
Friday he would press Air Force Secretary James Roche and other
top Pentagon officials to hand over all records on the deal.
"We'll be asking for as much information as we can get," McCain
said in a telephone interview, 1 day after the Senate Armed
Services Committee on which he serves delayed an expected vote
on a $22.4 billion lease-to-buy plan.
(Reuters 04:23 PM ET 09/05/2003)

Mo
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==================================== ============================


On Fri, 05 Sep 2003 17:20:17 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

The Pentagon's Inspector General announced a formal investigation
into whether an Air Force official improperly shared data with
BOEING CO., raising new questions about a $22.4 billion Air
Force deal to lease, then buy 100 767 tankers. Sen. John McCain
cited the investigation and once again blasted the proposed
lease deal at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing, while Alaska
Republican Sen. Ted Stevens underscored what he called the
urgency of quickly replacing the Air Force's aging fleet of
KC-135 tankers due to increased wartime use. McCain said
documents provided by Chicago-based Boeing, the Air Force and
the Pentagon which prompted the investigation showed an
"extremely aggressive sales pitch" for the deal.
(Reuters 04:11 PM ET 09/03/2003)

Mo
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Darleen Druyun, a former Air Force official, offered as early as
October 2001 to meet with investors to stress the low risk of a
deal for the Air Force to lease Boeing tankers, a BOEING CO.
memorandum shows. The Pentagon's Inspector General on Wednesday
launched a formal investigation into whether the Air Force
shared proprietary data with Boeing, an inquiry defense
officials said was focused on Druyun, who joined Boeing in
January 2003 after retiring from the Air Force in November
2002. Boeing denies it received any proprietary data during the
negotiations, and Druyun had declined interview requests. The
company insists Druyun has not been involved in the lease
negotiations since joining the company, adhering firmly to
federal rules for former defense officials. Pentagon
investigators will try to determine if Druyun overstepped her
bounds in those discussions, but congressional sources said it
was clear from a series of emails provided to lawmakers by
Boeing that she played a key role early in the Air Force's
negotiations with Boeing.
(Reuters 08:12 PM ET 09/03/2003)

Mo
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Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner said his
panel would not rush to a vote on a controversial Air Force
plan to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767 refueling tankers, which has
been dogged by questions about its cost and propriety. "We owe
an obligation to the taxpayers to very carefully assess this
issue," the Virginia Republican said at the opening of a
hearing into the $22.4 billion Air Force proposal to lease and
then buy 100 aerial tankers. Warner said members of his panel
would hold discussions in a closed hearing after taking
testimony from witnesses before he would schedule a vote.
(Reuters 10:26 AM ET 09/04/2003)

Mo
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The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee has asked Defense
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to look at leasing just one quarter
of the 100 BOEING CO. 767s sought by the Air Force as refueling
tankers, officials said. The committee will postpone a vote on
the Air Force's plan until it gets a Pentagon analysis, the
officials said.
(Reuters 05:05 PM ET 09/04/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 03 Sep 2003 03:45:48 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Dozens of email exchanges among BOEING CO., the Air Force and the
Pentagon released on Saturday raised fresh questions about a
controversial $22.5 billion deal to lease, then buy 100 Boeing
767 tankers. The documents were among more than 8,000 provided
to the Senate Commerce Committee as it investigated a deal its
chairman, Sen. John McCain describes as a "military-industrial
rip-off" and a government bailout of Boeing, whose commercial
aircraft sales slumped after the September 2001 hijack attacks.
The documents contain no "smoking guns," congressional sources
say, but they show a close relationship between Boeing and Air
Force officials, including Air Force Secretary James Roche, as
well as details of a rival bid by Airbus SA.
(Reuters 05:11 PM ET 08/30/2003)

Mo
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Critics of a $22.4 billion Air Force proposal to lease, then buy,
100 Boeing 767s as refueling tankers plan to raise financing and
cost concerns at a Senate hearing on Wednesday in a final bid to
block the deal. Defense analysts predict tough questions in the
Senate Commerce Committee and other hearings this week, but say
the need to replace the Air Force's KC-135 tankers, which are on
average 43 years old, will ultimately win the votes needed for
approval. Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, chairman of the
Commerce Committee, blasts the deal as a government bailout of
BOEING CO., whose commercial aircraft sales slumped after the
September 2001 hijack attacks. The Congressional Budget Office,
the General Accounting Office and several government watchdog
groups are also skeptical of the deal, which has already won
needed approval from three of four congressional committees.
(Reuters 05:06 PM ET 09/02/2003)

Mo
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================================== ==============================


On Mon, 01 Sep 2003 16:12:34 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


BOEING CO. rejected published reports that it might have obtained
rival bidder Airbus SAS's proprietary information while
negotiating a proposed $22.5 billion refueling tanker
lease-purchase agreement with the U.S. Air Force. "Boeing
believes we did not receive any proprietary information from
any official on any subject throughout the entire tanker
lease-negotiation process," said Doug Kennett, a spokesman for
the company. Earlier in the day, the Seattle
Post-Intelligencer, citing an unnamed source, reported what it
called new allegations that a senior Air Force official had
"provided Boeing with proprietary information" about Airbus's
offer to supply its own aircraft and modify them for the
refueling mission. The French-German aerospace firm that
controls Airbus said its response to the U.S. Air Force's
original request for tanker bids was "proprietary in nature and
was furnished to the Air Force in confidence."
(Reuters 01:31 PM ET 08/29/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=859...a&s=rb0308 29

================================= ===============================


On Mon, 01 Sep 2003 15:07:06 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :



-------------------------------------------------------------------
AVflash Volume 9, Number 36a September 1, 2003
-------------------------------------------------------------------

BOEING TO FACE SENATE HEARING ON TANKER LEASE
Boeing is under scrutiny, and the heat is about to intensify on
Wednesday, when a hearing will be held by the Senate Commerce
Committee about the planemaker's $21-billion leasing deal with the
U.S. Air Force for 100 B767 aerial refueling tankers. A report issued
last week by the Congressional Budget Office concluded that "the
proposed transaction would essentially be a purchase of the tankers by
the federal government but at a cost greater than would be incurred
under the normal appropriation and procurement process." The Seattle
Post-Intelligencer reported Friday that Boeing may have had improper
access to information about Airbus's competing proposal for the tanker
deal. Boeing denied that allegation. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a
longtime vocal critic of the lease -- which he has termed "corporate
welfare" for Boeing -- will preside over the hearing. Boeing has
already been in trouble for "industrial espionage" this summer.
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#185597



On Wed, 27 Aug 2003 16:15:04 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The U.S. Congressional Budget Office said the U.S. Air Force's
plan to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767s as refueling tankers will
cost $1.3 billion to $2 billion more than an outright purchase.
The congressional agency said the proposed lease also failed to
meet four out of six conditions set for government leases by
the White House Office of Management and Budget. In a report
published on its web site, CBO said on average, the Air Force
would spent $161 million for each new refueling tanker in 2002
dollars, compared to a cost of $131 million for an outright
purchase. Two Senate committee plan hearings on the deal next
week. The Air Force has said the deal would be about $150
million more costly than a purchase, but say leasing is
preferable since it would allow the military to begin replacing
its aging fleet of KC-135 refueling tanker far sooner.
(Reuters 04:27 PM ET 08/26/2003)

Mo
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On Tue, 29 Jul 2003 14:37:39 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :



A key panel in the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday
approved Air Force plans to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767 refueling
tankers, saying the lease would tie up less money in coming
years than a purchase. "(The tanker leasing proposal) allows us
to replace the aging fleet more quickly, while retaining an
essential combat capability over the next several decades,"
Rep. Duncan Hunter, chair of the House Armed Services
Committee, said in a statement late on Friday. "For this
reason, I am endorsing the proposal by the Secretary of Defense
to lease 100 KC-767 aerial refueling tankers from the Boeing
Corporation. The required notification will be sent this
evening."
(Reuters 01:58 AM ET 07/26/2003)

Mo
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============================== ==================================

On Fri, 25 Jul 2003 10:51:58 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The General Accounting Office raised questions about U.S. Air
Force plans to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767 refueling tankers,
saying the purchase cost of the planes after the 6-year lease
was higher than that reported by the military. GAO's $173.5
million per plane price is substantially higher than the $138.4
million -- $131 million plus $7.4 million for financing costs --
cited by the Air Force, said Neal Curtin, director of defense
capabilities for the congressional investigative agency. Curtin
told the House Armed Services Committee he also had concerns
about the "special purpose entity" created to own the aircraft
and lease them to the Air Force. The Air Force has already won
the approval of the House and Senate Appropriations committees,
and says it hopes to move forward on the deal by September.
(Reuters 10:51 AM ET 07/23/2003)

Mo
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On Tue, 15 Jul 2003 10:02:11 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

BOEING CO. said a controversial plan to lease 100 tanker aircraft
to the U.S. Air Force would offer good value and speed badly
needed planes into service. An Air Force analysis delivered to
Congress last Friday showed leasing could cost as much as $1.9
billion more than a straight purchase, more than 10% of the
proposed $17.2 billion deal, which would include an option to
buy for another $4 billion. Critics including Republican Sen.
John McCain of Arizona have blasted the deal as a
taxpayer-funded handout to Boeing, which has been badly hurt by
a slump in orders for its commercial jets since the Sept. 11,
2001 hijack attacks. But Air Force and Boeing officials argue
that the tanker fleet, with an average age of 43 years,
urgently needs an upgrade, saying the maintenance savings from
the 100 proposed new aircraft would be worth $5 billion.
(Reuters 03:24 PM ET 07/14/2003)

Mo
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============================ ====================================


On Mon, 07 Jul 2003 10:19:06 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :



-------------------------------------------------------------------
AVflash Volume 9, Number 28a July 7, 2003
-------------------------------------------------------------------

BOEING GETS AID FUNDS?...
It's the U.S.'s largest exporter and by far its largest aerospace
company, so when Boeing stamps its feet, the ground shakes under most
of us. Lately the Chicago-headquartered manufacturer has been
attracting the attention of critics who claim Boeing is drawing too
much from the government trough. The Citizens Against Government Waste
(CAGW) has formally asked the House Armed Services Subcommittee to
oppose a $21 billion deal for Boeing to lease 100 767 aerial tankers
to the Air Force. The CAGW claims upgrading the existing fleet of 127
707-based KC-135s would cost $3.8 billion and it also points out that
after leasing the 767s for 10 years the planes go back to Boeing. The
company is also (according to some) seeing some extremely generous
offers from states and towns as it dangles the carrot of 1,000 jobs to
be won by the location that will build its new 7E7 Dreamliner.
http://www.avweb.com/newswire/9_28a/...85269-1.html#2
------------------------------------------------------------------



On Thu, 26 Jun 2003 01:07:00 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Mesage-Id: :


The Pentagon is working on an amendment to the proposed fiscal
2004 defense budget as a result of its plan to lease 100 BOEING
CO. 767s as refueling tankers, a top Air Force official said
Tuesday. Air Force Lt. Gen. Michael Zettler, deputy chief of
staff for installations and logistics, gave no details about
the amount of the request when he testified to the House Armed
Forces Committee's subcommittee on projection forces. The
hearing was the first of several expected on the controversial
proposed $16 billion lease agreement aimed at starting to
replace the Air Force's fleet of 543 KC-135 refueling tankers,
which average 42 years in age.
(Reuters 06:50 PM ET 06/24/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 18 Jun 2003 20:15:49 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Sen. John McCain, who has called a U.S. military contract with
BOEING CO. a "rip-off," sent a letter to Boeing Chief Executive
Philip Condit requesting documents related to the deal, The Wall
Street Journal reported. McCain, the chair of the U.S. Senate's
Commerce Committee, is seeking all communication between Boeing
and government officials related to the lease, as well as
documents from Boeing's interactions with commercial and
foreign government customers. A representative of Boeing could
not immediately be reached for comment, but a spokesman told
the Journal that Boeing received the letter and planned a
response. Critics of the deal have called on U.S. lawmakers to
delay approval of a $16 billion deal in which the Air Force
will lease planes from Boeing to replace its aging fleet of
refueling aircraft.
(Reuters 05:53 AM ET 06/17/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=829...a&s=rb0306 17



On Thu, 12 Jun 2003 13:33:18 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Seven independent groups blasted a $16 billion BOEING CO. lease
deal with the Air Force as "a profligate waste of taxpayer
dollars" and said lawmakers should delay its approval until a
criminal investigation into another Boeing contract is
completed. Boeing, anticipating the letter, on Monday bought
full-page advertisements in major U.S. newspapers, admitting
its employees acted improperly during a fierce competition with
LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP. for a $2 billion rocket deal. But Boeing
Chairman and Chief Executive Phil Condit said the company had
taken appropriate action after it learned of the errors and
would not tolerate unethical behavior. The Project on
Government Oversight, which also signed the letter, rejected
Condit's statement and said it had documented 36 cases of
misconduct or alleged misconduct by Boeing workers between 1990
and 2002, resulting in about $348 million in fines or penalties,
restitution and settlement fees.
(Reuters 01:00 AM ET 06/10/2003)

Mo
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On Thu, 29 May 2003 13:11:07 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


U.S. senators will hold a hearing in early June on a $16 billion
plan for BOEING CO. to lease 100 modified 767 jets to the Air
Force, but congressional aides and defense experts did not
expect the deal to run into last-minute problems on Capitol
Hill. Despite the Bush administration's approval of the lease,
defense experts said they did not expect it to be the harbinger
of a new Pentagon preference for leasing military equipment.
"It's going to sail through Congress," said Loren Thompson,
head of the Virginia-based Lexington Institute. "I don't see it
being held up. The Air Force wants it, the administration wants
it and some very key people in both houses of Congress want it."
(Reuters 05:19 PM ET 05/27/2003)

Mo
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On Sun, 25 May 2003 09:49:28 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


The White House budget office said that scant headway had been
made as far as it was concerned toward a proposed
multibillion-dollar Air Force tanker-lease deal with BOEING CO.
despite a string of high-level meetings. "OMB (Office of
Management and Budget) doesn't see a lot of progress since last
week," said spokesman Trent Duffy. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul
Wolfowitz discussed a revised proposal Tuesday night with both
the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer, Edward Aldridge, and Air
Force secretary James Roche. Wolfowitz is "taking the proposed
tanker lease under advisement," Cheryl Irwin, a Pentagon
spokeswoman, said. She said she did not know how long a
decision might take. The deal has been under discussion since
early last year.
(Reuters 06:53 PM ET 05/21/2003)

Mo
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Top Pentagon officials late on Tuesday began reviewing the Air
Force's plans to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767s as refueling tankers
after the company further lowered its price, sources familiar
with the agreement said. After nonstop negotiations, Boeing had
agreed to lower the price for each of the modified 767-200ER
planes below the figure of $136 million reported last week. The
price of the overall lease deal -- which critics have blasted as
corporate welfare for a company hard hit by a slump in
commercial sales -- was now below $17 billion, including the
terms of the 6-year lease and an Air Force purchase at the end
of the lease, the sources said. The initial deal called for the
Air Force to pay $17 billion for the lease, and $4 billion for
purchase at the end.
(Reuters 05:35 PM ET 05/20/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=818...a&s=rb0305 20

----------------------------------------------------------------


On Tue, 13 May 2003 02:14:28 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


BOEING CO. has agreed to reduce by 6% the price of a multibillion
deal to lease 100 767 aircraft to the Air Force as refueling
tankers, defense officials said. The officials, who asked not
to be named, said Boeing officials had agreed to trim the price
of each 767-ER200 aircraft by $9 million to about $141 million
each. The officials said a decision on the deal -- which has
been in the works for over 18 months -- could come soon. But
they said defense officials were at pains to review the
agreement very carefully, since it marked the first time the
U.S. military would lease -- rather than buy -- such a large
number of aircraft. The lease had been expected to cost $17
billion over 6 years, with the Air Force to pay an additional
$4 billion to buy the planes at the end of the term.
(Reuters 02:01 PM ET 05/12/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=814...a&s=rb0305 12

----------------------------------------------------------------


On Fri, 09 May 2003 01:13:04 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:

The Defense Department still has issues to resolve before
endorsing a multibillion dollar U.S. Air Force proposal to
lease 100 BOEING CO. 767s as refueling tankers, the prime
congressional mover behind the plan said Wednesday. "I'm
talking to all parties, trying to move this thing forward --
and we're still not quite there yet," said Rep. Norm Dicks, the
Washington Democrat who spearheaded the law authorizing the
unusual leasing arrangement. The Air Force and Boeing have been
working on the proposed lease for more than a year. Their
tentative deal involved a $17 billion lease over 6 years, with
an option to purchase the aircraft for another $4 billion at
the end of the lease. By some accounts, the Defense Department
had been expected to sign off any day now following a fresh
round of meetings on Friday and over the weekend that
reportedly lowered the cost to the Air Force.
(Reuters 05:39 PM ET 05/07/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=812...a&s=rb0305 07

----------------------------------------------------------------


On Wed, 07 May 2003 17:40:54 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:



Pentagon lawyers are taking a final look at a proposed
multibillion Air Force lease of 100 BOEING CO. 767 jets as
refueling tankers and the deal could be approved later Tuesday,
defense officials said. But sources familiar with the
negotiations warned the deal -- which critics blast as a
corporate handout to Boeing -- has been in the works for more
than 18 months and last-minute issues have delayed its approval
more than once. Negotiators from Chicago-based Boeing, the Air
Force and the Office of the Secretary of Defense succeeded over
the weekend in narrowing the differences between the cost of the
deal as estimated by the Air Force and the independent Institute
for Defense Analyses, the officials said. Under the terms of the
original deal, the Air Force would spend $17 billion to lease
the 100 planes for 6 years, paying an additional $4 billion to
buy them at the end of the term.
(Reuters 12:04 PM ET 05/06/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=811...a&s=rb0305 06

=================== =============================================

On Sat, 03 May 2003 04:38:27 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:



BOEING CO. said its plan to lease 100 767 commercial jets to the
U.S. Air Force as refueling tankers could generate as much as
$2.8 billion in support revenues over the projected life of the
proposed $17 billion lease. John Sams, the Boeing official who
negotiated the deal with the air force, said each aircraft was
projected to spin off $4.8 million a year during the projected
6-year lease, assuming 750 hours of flying time. This figure
would include all spare parts, training and simulators, the
company said, and total $28.8 million per tanker over the 6
years. If the leases were extended, Boeing's take would rise
correspondingly. Under a tentative deal awaiting U.S. Defense
Department's approval, the air force would have an option to
buy the modified 767s at the end of the lease for a combined $4
billion.
(Reuters 11:46 PM ET 05/01/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=810...a&s=rb0305 01

================== ==============================================

On Wed, 23 Apr 2003 00:39:24 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:



Top Pentagon and White House officials on May 2 will revisit a
controversial $17 billion plan for the Air Force to lease 100
BOEING CO. 767 jets as refueling tankers, sources familiar with
the matter said on Monday. Boeing and Air Force officials have
been pressing for months to win approval for the unique leasing
arrangement that would also give the Air Force the option to buy
the jets for $4 billion at the end of the lease. The deal is
complicated because the government generally buys rather than
leases equipment like tankers. It has also sparked criticism
from some lawmakers, the Office of Management and Budget and
independent watchdog agencies.
(Reuters 05:34 PM ET 04/21/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=804...a&s=rb0304 21

================= ===============================================

On Mon, 14 Apr 2003 18:24:19 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


BOEING CO.'s $17 billion plan to lease 100 of its 767 jets to the
U.S. Air Force as refueling tankers faces delay after U.S.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld sought information on
purchasing some of the planes, sources familiar with the matter
said. Also being informally examined is how the price per plane
could drop if another 80 to 100 of the tankers were to be
ordered, the sources said. Boeing and Air Force officials have
been hoping for months to get final clearance to proceed with
the unique leasing arrangement that would also give the Air
Force the option to buy the jets for $4 billion at the end of
the lease. Pentagon spokesman Glenn Flood dismissed any talk of
more than 100 aircraft. "The only plan is for 100. Any increase
above 100 would have to be approved by Congress and the White
House," he said.
(Reuters 05:06 PM ET 04/10/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=800...a&s=rb0304 10


On Tue, 11 Mar 2003 01:13:00 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is to review a $21 billion Air
Force plan to lease modified 767 BOEING CO. tankers that has
come under fire for its cost and financing, according to
sources familiar with the deal. Defense Undersecretary Edward
"Pete" Aldridge and Pentagon Comptroller Dov Zakheim, who make
up a panel that reviews leasing arrangements like the proposed
Boeing deal, are due to brief Rumsfeld. He was not expected to
approve or reject the deal at Monday's meeting, although
sources close to the negotiations said they expected him to
make a decision soon. Under the plan, the Air Force would pay
$17 billion to lease 100 planes to start replacing the
service's fleet of 40-year-old KC-135 tankers. Financial
service companies would set up a "special purpose entity" to
float bonds to buy the tankers from Boeing, and lease them to
the military.
(Reuters 05:33 PM ET 03/07/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=785...a&s=rb0303 07

On Thu, 13 Feb 2003 19:14:37 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
fjrn4vkjedt414 :


BOEING CO. expects a U.S. decision in the next 2 weeks on a
$17-billion tanker lease contract, a senior company official
said, adding that sales to the UK and others were also under
discussion. The world's largest aircraft maker aims to supply
100 tanker versions of its 767 commercial airliner to replace
the U.S. Air Force's ageing fleet of KC-135 tankers. "I'm
certain we'll have closure on it in the next two weeks," George
Muellner, Boeing senior VP for Air Force systems, told defense
reporters in London. "We've had dialogue with three or four
other countries, other than Italy and Japan," Muellner said.
Muellner said Japan had signed a deal this month and Australia
was interested. Italy signed a deal for four 767-based tankers
last month.
(Reuters 01:55 PM ET 01/29/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=768...a&s=rb0301 29


On Mon, 10 Feb 2003 03:57:25 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
4n8e4v8av75ot :


Top Pentagon officials aim to decide next week whether to allow
the Air Force to lease 100 modified 767 BOEING CO. tankers to
replace its ageing fleet, Defense Undersecretary Edward
Aldridge said. "It's hard ... It's a major investment,"
Aldridge said of the controversial $17 billion deal, which
would give the Air Force up to 12 new tankers in 2006 and all
100 by 2011. For an additional $4 billion the Air Force would
be able to purchase the jets outright at the end of the lease,
sources familiar with the deal have said. Aldridge, the
Pentagon's chief weapons buyer, favors innovative and flexible
approaches to defense procurement, and his office has
championed streamlined acquisitions rules aimed at getting
weapons to the services more quickly.
(Reuters 03:42 PM ET 02/07/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=773...a&s=rb0302 07

On Wed, 15 Jan 2003 01:12:47 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
d7d92v8q5sdk :


The U.S. Air Force hopes to win approval in Q1 2003 for a
controversia l contract to lease 100 767 commercial jets from
BOEING CO., sources familiar with the discussions said on
Monday. The $17 billion lease contract - aimed at replacing the
Air Force's aging fleet of KC-135 tankers -- has been in the
works for over a year and still requires approval by top
Pentagon officials and U.S. lawmakers, who raised questions
last year about the costs of an earlier version of the
contract. The deal now under discussion would give the Air
Force 11 to 12 new tankers in 2006, with all 100 to be
delivered by 2011. For an additional $4 billion, the Air Force
will be able to purchase the jets outright at the end of the
lease, according to sources familiar with the deal.
(Reuters 06:22 PM ET 01/13/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=759...a&s=rb0301 13

----------

On Sun, 17 Nov 2002 00:43:37 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
ifpdtuovlha :


BOEING CO. said it no longer expected to wrap up as early as next
month a proposed deal, valued at as much as $18 billion, to
lease 100 aerial refueling tankers to the U.S. Air Force.
Instead, it may take until early next year to reach agreement
with the Air Force, partly because of a new Congress taking
office in January, said Jim Albaugh, president and chief
executive of Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems unit. "We're
in final negotiations with the customer," he told reporters at
a briefing on the company's scheduled first launch of its Delta
4 rocket.
(Reuters 12:52 PM ET 11/14/2002)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=737...a&s=rb0211 14

=========== ================================================== ===


On Sun, 10 Nov 2002 12:08:17 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
dvissu4135 :


BOEING CO. said its proposal to lease 100 aerial refueling
tankers would cost the U.S. Air Force about $17 billion, some
$10 billion less than previously estimated, with an option to
purchase the aircraft for another $4 billion. The current
estimate must still be scrutinized by the Pentagon's Cost
Analysis Improvement Group, but if accurate, it could ease
concern in Congress and at the White House over the initial
price tag of $26 billion to $28 billion. "It will turn out to
be more like the $17 to $18 billion we are talking about,"
Boeing's VP for airlift and tanker programs Howard Chambers
told Reuters by telephone. "Over the last six months we have
gotten more clarity."
(Reuters 03:08 PM ET 11/07/2002)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=734...a&s=rb0211 07

----------------------------------------------------------------

On Wed, 06 Nov 2002 15:26:33 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
i4disug2g :



BOEING CO., still negotiating with the U.S. government, hopes to
close a key deal to lease modified 767 jetliners as refueling
tankers to the U.S. Air Force by year-end, a spokesman said.
The price under discussion is now $17 billion for 100 refueling
tankers , down from the originally estimated $26 billion that
failed to win approval in Washington, The Wall Street Journal
reporte d. Boeing, the second largest U.S. military contractor,
had hoped to close the deal long ago but has been thwarted by
concern s over price and the value of buying versus leasing. At
one point, rival airplane manufacturer Airbus of Europe was
also trying to win the deal.
(Reuter s 11:42 AM ET 11/05/2002)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=732...a&s=rb0211 05




On Wed, 04 Sep 2002 01:41:34 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
d5panukh :



GENERA L DYNAMICS CORP. said the U.S. Navy had given it and BOEING
CO. 30 days to pay $2.3 billion to settle an 11-year legal
battle over the Pentagon's abrupt cancellation of the Navy's
A-12 fighter jet. "General Dynamics regards this demand as an
unseem ly negotiating tactic, and an apparent effort to gain
advantag e during settlement talks," the company said, noting
that it would seek an injunction in federal court if the
settleme nt talks failed to reach a result before the 30-day
deadline . General Dynamics, Boeing and the Navy were in intense
discussi ons this summer to settle the matter, with one proposal
callin g for the companies to provide goods and services to the
Navy valued at more than $2.5 billion, including discounts on
F-18E/F fighter jets it plans to buy in the future.
(Reute rs 03:19 PM ET 09/03/2002)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=699...a&s=rb0209 03

======== ================================================== ======


On Thu, 08 Aug 2002 14:39:41 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
fj05lu8 :



Officia ls at the U.S. Air Force and aircraft manufacturer BOEING
CO. said on Tuesday they were still hammering out an agreement
to lease 100 commercial Boeing 767s and convert them to aerial
refueli ng tankers, despite new White House criticism of the
propose d deal. White House Budget Director Mitchell Daniels
said in a recent letter he would not support any proposal that
cost taxpayers more than an outright purchase. "The Air Force
and Boeing are still in negotiations," said Air Force
spokesw oman Capt. Jessica Smith, noting the current fleet of
545 KC-135 tankers had an average age of 41 years. "We're
worki ng to find the best deal for the taxpayers."
(Reuter s 05:53 PM ET 08/06/2002)

Mo
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----------------------------------------------------------------

On Thu, 18 Jul 2002 17:19:32 GMT, "W. D. Allen"
ballen (W. D. Allen) wrote in Message ID
EMCZ8. :

More like an Air Farce, not a Boeing, boondoggle! Can't sell something to a
custom er when they do not want it!! Get it right or forget it!

WDA

end

"Lar ry Dighera" wrote in message
news:8 ...

BOEING CO. CFO Mike Sears said the aerospace company expects to
sign a deal to lease air refueling tankers to the U.S. Air
Force by the end of summer. Congress authorized the Air Force
in December to negotiate a leasing deal with Boeing for 100
converted 767s to replace some aging KC-135 tankers. White
House and congressional budget experts had said it would be
cheaper to buy new planes or refurbish the old tankers than
sign a 10-year lease with an estimated cost of $26 billion to
$37 billion.
(Reuters 10:44 AM ET 07/17/2002)

Mo

http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=674...a&s=rb0207 17


On Fri, 17 May 2002 03:34:14 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
:

----------------------------------------------------------------
Boeing Co (BA) (45.00 +0.45)

Replacing the oldest U.S. refueling aircraft remains an Air Force
priority, the service's secretary and chief of staff told
Congress Wednesday amid controversy over a proposed lease of
commercial aircraft from BOEING CO. The Air Force said concern
about the 43-year-old KC-135Es in its fleet had been heightened
by the increased pace of aerial refueling after the Sept. 11
attacks. Air Force Secretary James Roche rejected suggestions
that the Air Force could get by with its current refueling
fleet for 15 years or more. Replacement needs to start as soon
as possible, the Air Force said in a separate letter replying
to criticism of the proposed lease deal.
(Reuters 04:34 PM ET 05/15/2002)

Mo

http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=643...a&s=rb0205 15
----------------------------------------------------------------


On Tue, 14 May 2002 00:55:42 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
:

----------------------------------------------------------------
Boeing Co (BA) (44.28 +0.65)

The Senate Armed Services Committee moved on Friday to boost
congressional oversight of a possible $26 billion Air Force
deal to lease BOEING CO. wide-body jets and turn them into
refueling tankers. Sen. John McCain said he was clearing the
way for public hearings on what he has described as a potential
taxpayer "rip-off." A measure adopted by the panel would force
the secretary of the Air Force to get specific funding for any
lease of Boeing 767 tankers -- a process that could delay any
deal to the next budget cycle if enacted into law.
(Reuters 05:15 PM ET 05/10/2002)

Mo

http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=641...1a&s=rb0205 1
0



On Thu, 09 May 2002 15:59:30 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
:


Boeing Co (BA) (44.41 +1.27)

Plans for the U.S. Air Force to lease BOEING CO. 767 commercial
aircraft as aerial refueling tankers is an expensive solution
that could actually cut overall fuel capacity, according to a
White House analysis obtained on Tuesday. Office of Management
and Budget Director Mitch Daniels said leasing the 100 767s to
start replacing a 40-year-old fleet of KC-135 tankers would
cost up to $26 billion and result in a slightly smaller overall
fuel capacity. A $3.2 billion upgrade of 126 KC-135s would
increase fleet capacity by a similar amount but the Air Force
had not chosen this route, Daniels said in a letter to leasing
critic, Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain.
(Reuters 07:52 PM ET 05/07/2002)

Mo

http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=639...0925a&s=rb0205
07

On 18 Apr 2002 22:00:27 -0700, (Blain Shinno) (Blain
Shinno) wrote in Message ID
m:

Boeing expects to begin delivering aerial refueling tankers
based on its 767 wide-body jetliner, including some for Italian
and Japanese forces, by late 2004, with some 100 tankers for the
U.S. Air Force rolling off the line beginning in 2005.

I wonder how many tankers will be delivered each year. Seems a little
long to wait for leased tankers. I wonder when all of them will be
delivered? For $26 billion the USAF better have the option of buying
the tankers for $1 at the end of the lease. And how does the lease
impact the future buy of tankers? When will 767 derivatives start
rolling off the line? Following the delivery of leased tankers, or
after? How is that going to impact the budget?



  #28  
Old November 22nd 03, 06:48 PM
Larry Dighera
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default



Senate Armed Services Committee member John McCain moved on
Thursday to force disclosure of Pentagon records on a
multibillion-dollar plan to acquire 100 BOEING CO. 767s as
refueling planes. In a letter to committee chairman John
Warner, McCain linked his quest to the fate of Michael Wynne,
President Bush's choice to be the Pentagon's new chief weapons
buyer. "I respectfully suggest that the Defense Department"
produce records sought for oversight of the Boeing deal "as the
committee prepares to consider Mr. Wynne's nomination," McCain
wrote. At a confirmation hearing for Wynne on Tuesday, Warner,
a Virginia Republican; Carl Levin of Michigan, the panel's top
Democrat; and McCain, an Arizona Republican, voiced concern
over Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz's refusal to hand
over documents at issue.
(Reuters 08:26 PM ET 11/20/2003)

Mo
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----------------------------------------------------------------
On Tue, 18 Nov 2003 23:32:38 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The Air Force plans to fund from its own budget the full
multibillion-dollar acquisition of 100 modified BOEING CO.
refueling planes and not ask any of the other armed services to
chip in, the Air Force's top military officer said. Gen. John
Jumper, the chief of staff, said he had no plans to lean on the
Army, Navy and Marine Corps -- a possibility the General
Accounting Office, Congress's investigative and audit arm, had
cited unnamed Air Force officials as raising. Among systems
that could be set back, other Air Force officials have said,
are LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP.'s F/A-22 multirole fighter and the
F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The Senate gave the Air Force final
congressional approval Wednesday to lease 20 modified 767s as
tankers and buy up to 80 others -- a deal projected by the
Pentagon to cost $27.6 billion through fiscal 2017.
(Reuters 04:44 PM ET 11/13/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=889...a&s=rb0311 13

================================================= ===============

Key senators on Wednesday warned the U.S. Defense Department to
limit its order of BOEING CO. jetliners to the number
authorized under a law that funds the replacement of Air Force
refueling tankers. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman
John Warner, a Virginia Republican, made the point as the
Senate gave final approval to the tanker acquisition under
which the Air Force would lease 20 and buy up to 80 aircraft
used to fuel warplanes in midair. At issue could be billions of
dollars in potential savings to taxpayers. Originally, the Air
Force had sought to acquire all 100 modified 767s through
leases, with options to buy at the end of the planned 6-year
lease term. Some lawmakers opposed that plan, calling it too
expensive.
(Reuters 07:24 PM ET 11/12/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=889...a&s=rb0311 12

----------------------------------------------------------------
BOEING CO., banned in July from launching government satellites
for illegally acquiring a competitor's documents, on Tuesday
unveiled a new internal ethics office reporting directly to
company Chairman and CEO Phil Condit. Boeing said Senior VP
Bonnie Soodik would lead the new organization, assuming
responsibility for internal auditing, ethics, import-export
compliance, foreign sales consultants and a new U.S. securities
law holding managers more accountable for their actions. The
move comes as Boeing continues to wait for the Air Force to
lift its suspension of three Boeing units from government work,
a move that had been expected months ago. The Pentagon's
inspector general is also investigating whether Darleen Druyun,
a former Air Force official who now works for Boeing, improperly
shared proprietary data with Boeing during negotiations on a 767
tanker lease deal.
(Reuters 06:02 PM ET 11/11/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=888...a&s=rb0311 11



On Sat, 08 Nov 2003 17:05:13 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Congressional conferees have approved a multibillion-dollar
compromise plan for the Air Force to acquire 100 BOEING CO.
refueling aircraft, leasing the first 20 of them, the House of
Representatives Armed Services Committee said. Winding up a
2-year battle over the program, the House and Senate armed
services panels agreed the remaining 80 would be bought. The
leases will begin in fiscal 2006, which starts Oct. 1, 2005,
and the purchases will be through fiscal 2014. The deal was
part of the fiscal 2004 Defense Authorization Act, which
earmarks $400 billion for the Defense Department and national
security programs of the Energy Department. Under the revised
plan for tankers, which refuel other warplanes in mid-air, the
Defense Department will be required to conduct and report on an
independent assessment of the condition of the aging fleet of
KC-135 tankers.
(Reuters 10:08 AM ET 11/07/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=887...a&s=rb0311 07


On Fri, 07 Nov 2003 19:34:49 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The Pentagon, bowing to critics, said it would lease just 20
planes under a multibillion-dollar plan to acquire 100 BOEING
CO. jetliners for use as refueling tankers, buying the rest
outright. If approved by lawmakers, as now expected, the deal
would mark the first lease, rather than purchase, of a major
weapons system. It has roiled Congress for 2 years over charges
the Air Force was giving Boeing a sweetheart deal at taxpayer
expense. Originally, the Air Force had sought to lease all 100
tankers, derived from Boeing's commercial 767, and then planned
to buy them in a deal costing at least $22.4 billion through
2017. Under the new proposal, the Air Force would start
replacing its KC-135E tanker fleet, which average 43 years old,
with leased KC-767A planes tankers in 2006.
(Reuters 03:16 PM ET 11/06/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=887...a&s=rb0311 06

----------------------------------------------------------------

The White House said a deal is needed quickly that would let the
Air Force acquire new BOEING 767s as refueling planes. "There's
an urgent need to make this happen sooner rather than later,"
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said as congressional
negotiations continue over an original proposal to lease and
then buy 100 planes.
(Reuters 10:17 AM ET 11/06/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=886...a&s=rb0311 06

----------------------------------------------------------------

On Fri, 31 Oct 2003 21:14:48 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said he would "dearly love"
Congress to strike a deal that would let the Air Force acquire
new BOEING CO. 767s as refueling planes. He seemed to signal
acceptance of a scaled-back lease proposed by the Senate Armed
Services Committee, alone among four congressional oversight
panels to spurn the original plan, valued at more than $22
billion, to lease then buy 100 planes. "Political compromise is
what we do when the marbles have been divided and it's to be
expected," Rumsfeld told reporters at the Pentagon. The Senate
panel has proposed acquiring up to 100 planes by leasing 20 and
buying the rest -- a compromise formula designed to save
billions.
(Reuters 04:28 PM ET 10/30/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=883...a&s=rb0310 30

============================================== ==================
A study released on Tuesday raises questions about a U.S. Air
Force proposal to give BOEING CO. a $5.3 billion contract to
maintain 100 767 refueling tankers, the latest congressional
report to criticize the multibillion-dollar lease proposal.
Sen. John McCain, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee and
a vocal critic of the $24.3 billion lease and buy deal, released
the Congressional Research Service report challenging the Air
Force's assertion that Boeing is "uniquely qualified" to
provide initial maintenance support. CRS said many other
companies routinely serviced 767s, and Boeing was not "the
only, or even the largest, organization capable of handling the
maintenance needs of the 767." Air Force Secretary James Roche
told the Senate Armed Services Committee in a letter dated Oct.
9 that it made sense to give the maintenance contract to Boeing
since much of the 767 engineering data was proprietary. But CRS
said much of this data could be licensed to a third party to
handle maintenance.
(Reuters 06:57 PM ET 10/28/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=882...a&s=rb0310 28

----------------------------------------------------------------

On Tue, 28 Oct 2003 03:44:41 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Bad blood between the U.S. Congress and the Pentagon has taken a
toll on BOEING CO.'s multibillion-dollar drive to lease
jetliners to the Air Force as refueling planes, congressional
officials and private analysts said on Friday. The Boeing issue
laid bare growing strains between Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld and his top lieutenants, on the one hand, and the two
most powerful Republicans on the Senate Armed Services
Committee, on the other. Among other things, the chill reflects
pique at what officials on both sides of the aisle deem
Rumsfeld's sometimes-dismissive approach to Congress, for
instance on the situation in post-war Iraq. But it also
reflects perceived slights to Armed Services Committee Chairman
John Warner of Virginia, Congress's top overseer of the Defense
Department, and the panel's second-ranking Republican, John
McCain of Arizona.
(Reuters 06:20 PM ET 10/24/2003)

Mo
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The White House budget office discounted Thursday a key senator's
request to "revisit" its endorsement of a multibillion-dollar
Air Force plan to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767s as refueling
planes. The Office of Management and Budget will review Senate
Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain's written request sent
Wednesday, said a spokesman. President Bush said on Sept. 16
that he backed the proposed lease to start replacing aging
KC-135 tankers. The Air Force says the lease would give it
needed capability sooner than it could buy outright without
pinching other combat priorities. McCain has denounced the
proposed lease, designed to lead to purchases, as a bonanza for
Boeing and a bad deal for taxpayers that does not comply with
the fiscal 2002 legislation that authorized it.
(Reuters 05:00 PM ET 10/23/2003)

Mo
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The Senate Commerce Committee plans another hearing next week on
a controversial multibillion-dollar Air Force proposal to lease
100 BOEING CO. 767 tankers, as the Senate Armed Services
Committee continues weigh its options, including approving a
scaled-down lease. The armed services panel, chaired by
Virginia Republican Sen. John Warner, is the last of four
committees that must approve the lease deal -- which the Air
Force says it needs to begin replacing its fleet of aging
midair refueling tankers without incurring significant upfront
funding costs. Warner is under considerable political pressure
to approve the lease deal, but aides said the latest reports
only underscored his concerns about the higher cost of leasing.
(Reuters 06:49 PM ET 10/21/2003)

Mo
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On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 01:04:49 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The U.S. Air Force urged lawmakers to approve its plan to lease
100 BOEING CO. 767 refueling planes despite three new
congressional reports poking holes in what would be the first
such rental of a major weapons system. "The Air Force is hoping
that the Senate Armed Services Committee will approve our
original proposal to lease 100 tankers," said a spokeswoman,
Major Karen Finn. "The Air Force really needs this capability."
The Armed Services Committee is alone among the four military
oversight panels that has yet to approve the deal, designed to
acquire the tankers without significant upfront funding that
would squeeze other combat priorities. The service defended the
lease a day after the Congressional Budget Office found
taxpayers could reap $6.7 billion in savings with an outright
purchase, which is standard procurement procedure for arms
systems.
(Reuters 04:21 PM ET 10/17/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=877...a&s=rb0310 17

============================================ ====================


On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 14:53:26 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

The top Democrat on the House of Representatives' Armed Services
Committee said he was having second thoughts on a $22.4 billion
Air Force plan to lease then buy BOEING Co. refueling planes,
citing studies that have challenged its financial soundness. "I
think it would be useful to bring members up to date on the many
reports and studies that have emerged since our hearings on the
issue," Rep. Ike Skelton of Missouri wrote panel chairman
Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., on Wednesday. Studies by the
Congressional Budget Office, General Accounting Office,
Institute for Defense Analyses and Congressional Research
Service have shown that acquiring the 100 modified Boeing 767
aircraft initially through a lease, as the Air Force hopes to
do, would cost $5.5 billion more than buying them outright.
(Reuters 12:53 PM ET 10/09/2003)

Mo
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The House of Representatives' Appropriations Committee voted to
press ahead with a $22.4 billion proposal to lease then buy
BOEING CO. 737s as Air Force refueling planes. But the move to
lease 100 modified 767s as mid-air tankers starting in 2006 --
identical to a Senate appropriations measure -- highlighted
misgivings about the deal among what appeared to be a growing
number of lawmakers. The panel shot down, 33 to 28, a rival
plan, jokingly introduced by its top Democrat, David Obey of
Wisconsin, that would have earmarked $14 billion to start
buying the aircraft outright rather than leasing them first.
"If you want to save the taxpayers money, the best way is to
buy them now," Obey said in bating colleagues to own up to the
lease's extra costs and exercise what he portrayed as fiscal
responsibility.
(Reuters 03:16 PM ET 10/09/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 18:16:49 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

New questions emerged about the personal ties between BOEING CO.
and Darleen Druyun, a former top Air Force official who got a
job with the company after helping negotiate a multibillion
dollar deal to lease Boeing 767s as airborne refueling tankers.
The National Legal and Policy Center, a conservative nonprofit
group opposing the lease deal, released public records that
show Druyun agreed to sell her Virginia home to a senior Boeing
attorney while still working for the Air Force as a procurement
official. She had been deputy assistant secretary for Air Force
acquisition and management. The group also said Druyun's
daughter and son-in-law both work for Boeing, a fact confirmed
by the Chicago-based company.
(Reuters 03:18 PM ET 10/07/2003)

Mo
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========================================== ======================

On Sun, 05 Oct 2003 23:33:50 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

The nonpartisan U.S. Congressional Research Service raised new
doubts on Wednesday about a fresh Pentagon push to acquire
BOEING CO. 767 aircraft as midair refueling tankers through a
lease. The research service said the Defense Department's
latest proposal bolstered the case for purchasing the aircraft
outright, rather than leasing them first in a deal valued at
$22.4 billion. Earlier this month the Senate Armed Services
Committee put off what was to have been a final vote on the
lease proposal. Chairman John Warner, a Virginia Republican,
and the committee's top Democrat, Carl Levin of Michigan, asked
the Pentagon for data on leasing no more than 25 Boeing 767s,
down from the 100 sought by the Air Force.
(Reuters 07:46 PM ET 10/01/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=870...a&s=rb0310 01

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On Wed, 01 Oct 2003 23:01:27 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Air Force officials on Monday staunchly defended a $22.4 billion
air tanker lease agreement some critics say is a sweetheart
deal for BOEING CO. in the face of tough questions from Senate
aides. Air Force acquisitions chief Marvin Sambur and Lt. Gen.
Michael Zettler, deputy chief of staff for installations and
logistics, met with military legislative aides hoping to pave
the way for approval by the Senate Armed Services Committee of
the plan to lease then buy 100 Boeing 767 tankers. They held a
similar -- and equally contentious -- briefing for Senate
professional staffers on Friday, aides said. Despite the
last-minute push by the Air Force, Senate aides said they did
not expect the Senate Armed Services Committee to vote on the
controversial lease deal this week, putting off any action
until at least mid-October, after a one-week recess. The
committee is the final of four congressional panels to review
the deal. The other three have approved it.
(Reuters 08:08 PM ET 09/29/2003)

Mo
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======================================== ========================


On Fri, 26 Sep 2003 18:47:59 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Senate Armed Services Committee member John McCain, who helped
stall a $22.4 billion Air Force plan to lease then buy BOEING
CO. tankers, rejected as "non-responsive" a modified Defense
Department proposal. The Pentagon still has "not adequately
justified spending what it now acknowledges will be billions of
dollars more to acquire tankers through a lease," McCain, an
Arizona Republican, said in letters to the armed services
panel's leaders. McCain's new qualms could translate into
further delays for the tanker deal -- a plan to lease a major
weapons system for the first time rather than buy it outright.
(Reuters 04:53 PM ET 09/25/2003)

Mo
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======================================= =========================



The Pentagon's inspector general may issue a subpoena to BOEING
CO. and the U.S. Air Force for all written materials on a $22.4
billion deal to lease then buy 100 Boeing 767 tankers,
congressional and administration sources said on Monday. They
said Inspector General Joseph Schmitz is considering the
unusual move as he investigates possible impropriety in the
lease proposal that critics including U.S. Sen. John McCain
have blasted as a sweetheart deal for Boeing. The Pentagon's
in-house watchdog agency kicked off its investigation based on
documents provided by Boeing to Senate Commerce Committee
Chairman McCain, an Arizona Republican. But investigators,
including an FBI agent, want to see a complete and full record
of documents related to the case, the sources said.
(Reuters 05:40 PM ET 09/22/2003)

Mo
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Boeing Co (BA) (35.15 +0.26)

The Pentagon urged senators to approve a modified $22.4 billion
deal to lease, then buy, 100 BOEING CO. 767 tankers, seeking
authority to buy 26 of the tankers before their 6-year leases
expire to pare total program costs by $1.2 billion. Deputy
Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said buying the 26 tankers
early, between 2008 and 2010, would add $2.4 billion in initial
budget costs while lowering total program costs and allowing the
Air Force to immediately begin modernizing its 43-year-old fleet
of KC-135 tankers. "The optimum approach must balance the total
cost of the program, the additional funds needed ... and the
delivery schedule for the new capability," he told the Senate
Armed Services Committee, the last of four congressional panels
that must vote on the lease deal.
(Reuters 02:53 PM ET 09/23/2003)

Mo
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======================================= =========================


On Fri, 19 Sep 2003 14:44:14 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The Pentagon's inspector general has told Congress he plans a
formal investigation of possible impropriety involving the U.S.
Air Force's $22.4 billion proposal to lease then buy BOEING 767
aircraft as refueling tankers, a U.S. lawmaker said on
Wednesday. The inspector general, Joseph Schmitz, has concluded
that "sufficient credible information exists to warrant" a
formal investigation, said Sen. John McCain, an Arizona
Republican who has denounced the lease proposal as a sweetheart
deal for Boeing. "Up to now, it appears that the interests of
taxpayers have been subordinated to those of Boeing," McCain
said in disclosing the upgraded probe. In recent weeks, the
Pentagon's in-house watchdog has carried out a preliminary
inquiry into, among other things, whether an Air Force official
gave Boeing proprietary pricing data from Airbus, a rival for
the deal, Congressional staffmembers said.
(Reuters 10:50 PM ET 09/17/2003)

Mo
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President George W. Bush backed a controversial Air Force plan to
lease BOEING 767 aircraft as refueling tankers despite criticism
from Congress, according to an interview. "I do support it," he
said in an interview with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and
other regional newspapers. Senate Armed Services Committee
Chairman John Warner, a Virginia Republican, and Carl Levin of
Michigan, the panel's top Democrat, have asked Defense
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to consider slashing the Air Force
proposal to lease and then buy 100 767s for $22.4 billion. The
senators have suggested leasing no more than 25 767s while
getting the rest of any needed tankers through standard
purchase procedures. Air Force Secretary James Roche said the
Air Force was still working on a lease-to-own deal, a possible
reference to the up to 25 aircraft that Warner and Levin have
suggested.
(Reuters 01:34 PM ET 09/17/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=865...a&s=rb0309 17

====================================== ==========================


On Sat, 13 Sep 2003 15:18:18 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Sen. John McCain said that BOEING CO. appeared to have improperly
slanted the Pentagon process that led to its troubled $22.4
billion plan to lease then sell modified refueling tankers to
the Air Force. "To the extent that Boeing did so, its conduct
might have constituted an organizational conflict of interest
or anti-competitive behavior," he said in pressing Joseph
Schmitz, the Defense Department inspector general, to expand an
inquiry into the matter. In a separate letter, McCain, a member
of the Armed Services Committee, called on Defense Secretary
Donald Rumsfeld to provide all records relating to the lease
proposal from both Air Force Secretary James Roche and the
Pentagon's acting chief weapons buyer, Michael Wynne.
(Reuters 08:38 PM ET 09/11/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 10 Sep 2003 19:35:53 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

The U.S. Air Force on Monday said it expected to respond by early
next week to a letter from the Senate Armed Services Committee
proposing a scaled-down lease of 25 BOEING CO. 767s tankers.
"We're in the process of preparing our letter," said Air Force
spokeswoman Gloria Cales. "We should have our response pulled
together later this week or early next week." Cales gave no
details, but Air Force acquisitions chief Marvin Sambur last
week said it would be "significantly more expensive" to lease
fewer airplanes, due to lost volume discounts and the impact of
inflation. Once the Air Force completed its response, it would
go to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for approval, she said.
(Reuters 06:17 PM ET 09/08/2003)

Mo
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On Sat, 06 Sep 2003 11:43:43 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Sen. John McCain, who has criticized the cost of a U.S. Air Force
proposal to lease BOEING CO. 767s as refueling tankers, said on
Friday he would press Air Force Secretary James Roche and other
top Pentagon officials to hand over all records on the deal.
"We'll be asking for as much information as we can get," McCain
said in a telephone interview, 1 day after the Senate Armed
Services Committee on which he serves delayed an expected vote
on a $22.4 billion lease-to-buy plan.
(Reuters 04:23 PM ET 09/05/2003)

Mo
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=================================== =============================


On Fri, 05 Sep 2003 17:20:17 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

The Pentagon's Inspector General announced a formal investigation
into whether an Air Force official improperly shared data with
BOEING CO., raising new questions about a $22.4 billion Air
Force deal to lease, then buy 100 767 tankers. Sen. John McCain
cited the investigation and once again blasted the proposed
lease deal at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing, while Alaska
Republican Sen. Ted Stevens underscored what he called the
urgency of quickly replacing the Air Force's aging fleet of
KC-135 tankers due to increased wartime use. McCain said
documents provided by Chicago-based Boeing, the Air Force and
the Pentagon which prompted the investigation showed an
"extremely aggressive sales pitch" for the deal.
(Reuters 04:11 PM ET 09/03/2003)

Mo
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Darleen Druyun, a former Air Force official, offered as early as
October 2001 to meet with investors to stress the low risk of a
deal for the Air Force to lease Boeing tankers, a BOEING CO.
memorandum shows. The Pentagon's Inspector General on Wednesday
launched a formal investigation into whether the Air Force
shared proprietary data with Boeing, an inquiry defense
officials said was focused on Druyun, who joined Boeing in
January 2003 after retiring from the Air Force in November
2002. Boeing denies it received any proprietary data during the
negotiations, and Druyun had declined interview requests. The
company insists Druyun has not been involved in the lease
negotiations since joining the company, adhering firmly to
federal rules for former defense officials. Pentagon
investigators will try to determine if Druyun overstepped her
bounds in those discussions, but congressional sources said it
was clear from a series of emails provided to lawmakers by
Boeing that she played a key role early in the Air Force's
negotiations with Boeing.
(Reuters 08:12 PM ET 09/03/2003)

Mo
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Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner said his
panel would not rush to a vote on a controversial Air Force
plan to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767 refueling tankers, which has
been dogged by questions about its cost and propriety. "We owe
an obligation to the taxpayers to very carefully assess this
issue," the Virginia Republican said at the opening of a
hearing into the $22.4 billion Air Force proposal to lease and
then buy 100 aerial tankers. Warner said members of his panel
would hold discussions in a closed hearing after taking
testimony from witnesses before he would schedule a vote.
(Reuters 10:26 AM ET 09/04/2003)

Mo
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The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee has asked Defense
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to look at leasing just one quarter
of the 100 BOEING CO. 767s sought by the Air Force as refueling
tankers, officials said. The committee will postpone a vote on
the Air Force's plan until it gets a Pentagon analysis, the
officials said.
(Reuters 05:05 PM ET 09/04/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 03 Sep 2003 03:45:48 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Dozens of email exchanges among BOEING CO., the Air Force and the
Pentagon released on Saturday raised fresh questions about a
controversial $22.5 billion deal to lease, then buy 100 Boeing
767 tankers. The documents were among more than 8,000 provided
to the Senate Commerce Committee as it investigated a deal its
chairman, Sen. John McCain describes as a "military-industrial
rip-off" and a government bailout of Boeing, whose commercial
aircraft sales slumped after the September 2001 hijack attacks.
The documents contain no "smoking guns," congressional sources
say, but they show a close relationship between Boeing and Air
Force officials, including Air Force Secretary James Roche, as
well as details of a rival bid by Airbus SA.
(Reuters 05:11 PM ET 08/30/2003)

Mo
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Critics of a $22.4 billion Air Force proposal to lease, then buy,
100 Boeing 767s as refueling tankers plan to raise financing and
cost concerns at a Senate hearing on Wednesday in a final bid to
block the deal. Defense analysts predict tough questions in the
Senate Commerce Committee and other hearings this week, but say
the need to replace the Air Force's KC-135 tankers, which are on
average 43 years old, will ultimately win the votes needed for
approval. Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, chairman of the
Commerce Committee, blasts the deal as a government bailout of
BOEING CO., whose commercial aircraft sales slumped after the
September 2001 hijack attacks. The Congressional Budget Office,
the General Accounting Office and several government watchdog
groups are also skeptical of the deal, which has already won
needed approval from three of four congressional committees.
(Reuters 05:06 PM ET 09/02/2003)

Mo
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================================= ===============================


On Mon, 01 Sep 2003 16:12:34 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


BOEING CO. rejected published reports that it might have obtained
rival bidder Airbus SAS's proprietary information while
negotiating a proposed $22.5 billion refueling tanker
lease-purchase agreement with the U.S. Air Force. "Boeing
believes we did not receive any proprietary information from
any official on any subject throughout the entire tanker
lease-negotiation process," said Doug Kennett, a spokesman for
the company. Earlier in the day, the Seattle
Post-Intelligencer, citing an unnamed source, reported what it
called new allegations that a senior Air Force official had
"provided Boeing with proprietary information" about Airbus's
offer to supply its own aircraft and modify them for the
refueling mission. The French-German aerospace firm that
controls Airbus said its response to the U.S. Air Force's
original request for tanker bids was "proprietary in nature and
was furnished to the Air Force in confidence."
(Reuters 01:31 PM ET 08/29/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=859...a&s=rb0308 29

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On Mon, 01 Sep 2003 15:07:06 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :



-------------------------------------------------------------------
AVflash Volume 9, Number 36a September 1, 2003
-------------------------------------------------------------------

BOEING TO FACE SENATE HEARING ON TANKER LEASE
Boeing is under scrutiny, and the heat is about to intensify on
Wednesday, when a hearing will be held by the Senate Commerce
Committee about the planemaker's $21-billion leasing deal with the
U.S. Air Force for 100 B767 aerial refueling tankers. A report issued
last week by the Congressional Budget Office concluded that "the
proposed transaction would essentially be a purchase of the tankers by
the federal government but at a cost greater than would be incurred
under the normal appropriation and procurement process." The Seattle
Post-Intelligencer reported Friday that Boeing may have had improper
access to information about Airbus's competing proposal for the tanker
deal. Boeing denied that allegation. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a
longtime vocal critic of the lease -- which he has termed "corporate
welfare" for Boeing -- will preside over the hearing. Boeing has
already been in trouble for "industrial espionage" this summer.
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#185597



On Wed, 27 Aug 2003 16:15:04 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The U.S. Congressional Budget Office said the U.S. Air Force's
plan to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767s as refueling tankers will
cost $1.3 billion to $2 billion more than an outright purchase.
The congressional agency said the proposed lease also failed to
meet four out of six conditions set for government leases by
the White House Office of Management and Budget. In a report
published on its web site, CBO said on average, the Air Force
would spent $161 million for each new refueling tanker in 2002
dollars, compared to a cost of $131 million for an outright
purchase. Two Senate committee plan hearings on the deal next
week. The Air Force has said the deal would be about $150
million more costly than a purchase, but say leasing is
preferable since it would allow the military to begin replacing
its aging fleet of KC-135 refueling tanker far sooner.
(Reuters 04:27 PM ET 08/26/2003)

Mo
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On Tue, 29 Jul 2003 14:37:39 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :



A key panel in the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday
approved Air Force plans to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767 refueling
tankers, saying the lease would tie up less money in coming
years than a purchase. "(The tanker leasing proposal) allows us
to replace the aging fleet more quickly, while retaining an
essential combat capability over the next several decades,"
Rep. Duncan Hunter, chair of the House Armed Services
Committee, said in a statement late on Friday. "For this
reason, I am endorsing the proposal by the Secretary of Defense
to lease 100 KC-767 aerial refueling tankers from the Boeing
Corporation. The required notification will be sent this
evening."
(Reuters 01:58 AM ET 07/26/2003)

Mo
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============================= ===================================

On Fri, 25 Jul 2003 10:51:58 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The General Accounting Office raised questions about U.S. Air
Force plans to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767 refueling tankers,
saying the purchase cost of the planes after the 6-year lease
was higher than that reported by the military. GAO's $173.5
million per plane price is substantially higher than the $138.4
million -- $131 million plus $7.4 million for financing costs --
cited by the Air Force, said Neal Curtin, director of defense
capabilities for the congressional investigative agency. Curtin
told the House Armed Services Committee he also had concerns
about the "special purpose entity" created to own the aircraft
and lease them to the Air Force. The Air Force has already won
the approval of the House and Senate Appropriations committees,
and says it hopes to move forward on the deal by September.
(Reuters 10:51 AM ET 07/23/2003)

Mo
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On Tue, 15 Jul 2003 10:02:11 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

BOEING CO. said a controversial plan to lease 100 tanker aircraft
to the U.S. Air Force would offer good value and speed badly
needed planes into service. An Air Force analysis delivered to
Congress last Friday showed leasing could cost as much as $1.9
billion more than a straight purchase, more than 10% of the
proposed $17.2 billion deal, which would include an option to
buy for another $4 billion. Critics including Republican Sen.
John McCain of Arizona have blasted the deal as a
taxpayer-funded handout to Boeing, which has been badly hurt by
a slump in orders for its commercial jets since the Sept. 11,
2001 hijack attacks. But Air Force and Boeing officials argue
that the tanker fleet, with an average age of 43 years,
urgently needs an upgrade, saying the maintenance savings from
the 100 proposed new aircraft would be worth $5 billion.
(Reuters 03:24 PM ET 07/14/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=840...a&s=rb0307 14

=========================== =====================================


On Mon, 07 Jul 2003 10:19:06 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :



-------------------------------------------------------------------
AVflash Volume 9, Number 28a July 7, 2003
-------------------------------------------------------------------

BOEING GETS AID FUNDS?...
It's the U.S.'s largest exporter and by far its largest aerospace
company, so when Boeing stamps its feet, the ground shakes under most
of us. Lately the Chicago-headquartered manufacturer has been
attracting the attention of critics who claim Boeing is drawing too
much from the government trough. The Citizens Against Government Waste
(CAGW) has formally asked the House Armed Services Subcommittee to
oppose a $21 billion deal for Boeing to lease 100 767 aerial tankers
to the Air Force. The CAGW claims upgrading the existing fleet of 127
707-based KC-135s would cost $3.8 billion and it also points out that
after leasing the 767s fo 10 years the planes go back to Boeing. The
company is also (according to some) seeing some extremely generous
offers from states and towns as it dangles the carrot of 1,000 jobs to
be won by the location that will build its new 7E7 Dreamliner.
http://www.avweb.com/newswire/9_28a/...85269-1.html#2
------------------------------------------------------------------



On Thu, 26 Jun 2003 01:07:00 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The Pentagon is working on an amendment to the proposed fiscal
2004 defense budget as a result of its plan to lease 100 BOEING
CO. 767s as refueling tankers, a top Air Force official said
Tuesday. Air Force Lt. Gen. Michael Zettler, deputy chief of
staff for installations and logistics, gave no details about
the amount of the request when he testified to the House Armed
Forces Committee's subcommittee on projection forces. The
hearing was the first of several expected on the controversial
proposed $16 billion lease agreement aimed at starting to
replace the Air Force's fleet of 543 KC-135 refueling tankers,
which average 42 years in age.
(Reuters 06:50 PM ET 06/24/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 18 Jun 2003 20:15:49 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Sen. John McCain, who has called a U.S. military contract with
BOEING CO. a "rip-off," sent a letter to Boeing Chief Executive
Philip Condit requesting documents related to the deal, The Wall
Street Journal reported. McCain, the chair of the U.S. Senate's
Commerce Committee, is seeking all communication between Boeing
and government officials related to the lease, as well as
documents from Boeing's interactions with commercial and
foreign government customers. A representative of Boeing could
not immediately be reached for comment, but a spokesman told
the Journal that Boeing received the letter and planned a
response. Critics of the deal have called on U.S. lawmakers to
delay approval of a $16 billion deal in which the Air Force
will lease planes from Boeing to replace its aging fleet of
refueling aircraft.
(Reuters 05:53 AM ET 06/17/2003)

Mo
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On Thu, 12 Jun 2003 13:33:18 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Seven independent groups blasted a $16 billion BOEING CO. lease
deal with the Air Force as "a profligate waste of taxpayer
dollars" and said lawmakers should delay its approval until a
criminal investigation into another Boeing contract is
completed. Boeing, anticipating the letter, on Monday bought
full-page advertisements in major U.S. newspapers, admitting
its employees acted improperly during a fierce competition with
LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP. for a $2 billion rocket deal. But Boeing
Chairman and Chief Executive Phil Condit said the company had
taken appropriate action after it learned of the errors and
would not tolerate unethical behavior. The Project on
Government Oversight, which also signed the letter, rejected
Condit's statement and said it had documented 36 cases of
misconduct or alleged misconduct by Boeing workers between 1990
and 2002, resulting in about $348 million in fines or penalties,
restitution and settlement fees.
(Reuters 01:00 AM ET 06/10/2003)

Mo
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On Thu, 29 May 2003 13:11:07 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


U.S. senators will hold a hearing in early June on a $16 billion
plan for BOEING CO. to lease 100 modified 767 jets to the Air
Force, but congressional aides and defense experts did not
expect the deal to run into last-minute problems on Capitol
Hill. Despite the Bush administration's approval of the lease,
defense experts said they did not expect it to be the harbinger
of a new Pentagon preference for leasing military equipment.
"It's going to sail through Congress," said Loren Thompson,
head of the Virginia-based Lexington Institute. "I don't see it
being held up. The Air Force wants it, the administration wants
it and some very key people in both houses of Congress want it."
(Reuters 05:19 PM ET 05/27/2003)

Mo
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On Sun, 25 May 2003 09:49:28 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


The White House budget office said that scant headway had been
made as far as it was concerned toward a proposed
multibillion-dollar Air Force tanker-lease deal with BOEING CO.
despite a string of high-level meetings. "OMB (Office of
Management and Budget) doesn't see a lot of progress since last
week," said spokesman Trent Duffy. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul
Wolfowitz discussed a revised proposal Tuesday night with both
the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer, Edward Aldridge, and Air
Force secretary James Roche. Wolfowitz is "taking the proposed
tanker lease under advisement," Cheryl Irwin, a Pentagon
spokeswoman, said. She said she did not know how long a
decision might take. The deal has been under discussion since
early last year.
(Reuters 06:53 PM ET 05/21/2003)

Mo
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Top Pentagon officials late on Tuesday began reviewing the Air
Force's plans to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767s as refueling tankers
after the company further lowered its price, sources familiar
with the agreement said. After nonstop negotiations, Boeing had
agreed to lower the price for each of the modified 767-200ER
planes below the figure of $136 million reported last week. The
price of the overall lease deal -- which critics have blasted as
corporate welfare for a company hard hit by a slump in
commercial sales -- was now below $17 billion, including the
terms of the 6-year lease and an Air Force purchase at the end
of the lease, the sources said. The initial deal called for the
Air Force to pay $17 billion for the lease, and $4 billion for
purchase at the end.
(Reuters 05:35 PM ET 05/20/2003)

Mo
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On Tue, 13 May 2003 02:14:28 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


BOEING CO. has agreed to reduce by 6% the price of a multibillion
deal to lease 100 767 aircraft to the Air Force as refueling
tankers, defense officials said. The officials, who asked not
to be named, said Boeing officials had agreed to trim the price
of each 767-ER200 aircraft by $9 million to about $141 million
each. The officials said a decision on the deal -- which has
been in the works for over 18 months -- could come soon. But
they said defense officials were at pains to review the
agreement very carefully, since it marked the first time the
U.S. military would lease -- rather than buy -- such a large
number of aircraft. The lease had been expected to cost $17
billion over 6 years, with the Air Force to pay an additional
$4 billion to buy the planes at the end of the term.
(Reuters 02:01 PM ET 05/12/2003)

Mo
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On Fri, 09 May 2003 01:13:04 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:

The Defense Department still has issues to resolve before
endorsing a multibillion dollar U.S. Air Force proposal to
lease 100 BOEING CO. 767s as refueling tankers, the prime
congressional mover behind the plan said Wednesday. "I'm
talking to all parties, trying to move this thing forward --
and we're still not quite there yet," said Rep. Norm Dicks, the
Washington Democrat who spearheaded the law authorizing the
unusual leasing arrangement. The Air Force and Boeing have been
working on the proposed lease for more than a year. Their
tentative deal involved a $17 billion lease over 6 years, with
an option to purchase the aircraft for another $4 billion at
the end of the lease. By some accounts, the Defense Department
had been expected to sign off any day now following a fresh
round of meetings on Friday and over the weekend that
reportedly lowered the cost to the Air Force.
(Reuters 05:39 PM ET 05/07/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 07 May 2003 17:40:54 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:



Pentagon lawyers are taking a final look at a proposed
multibillion Air Force lease of 100 BOEING CO. 767 jets as
refueling tankers and the deal could be approved later Tuesday,
defense officials said. But sources familiar with the
negotiations warned the deal -- which critics blast as a
corporate handout to Boeing -- has been in the works for more
than 18 months and last-minute issues have delayed its approval
more than once. Negotiators from Chicago-based Boeing, the Air
Force and the Office of the Secretary of Defense succeeded over
the weekend in narrowing the differences between the cost of the
deal as estimated by the Air Force and the independent Institute
for Defense Analyses, the officials said. Under the terms of the
original deal, the Air Force would spend $17 billion to lease
the 100 planes for 6 years, paying an additional $4 billion to
buy them at the end of the term.
(Reuters 12:04 PM ET 05/06/2003)

Mo
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================== ==============================================

On Sat, 03 May 2003 04:38:27 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:



BOEING CO. said its plan to lease 100 767 commercial jets to the
U.S. Air Force as refueling tankers could generate as much as
$2.8 billion in support revenues over the projected life of the
proposed $17 billion lease. John Sams, the Boeing official who
negotiated the deal with the air force, said each aircraft was
projected to spin off $4.8 million a year during the projected
6-year lease, assuming 750 hours of flying time. This figure
would include all spare parts, training and simulators, the
company said, and total $28.8 million per tanker over the 6
years. If the leases were extended, Boeing's take would rise
correspondingly . Under a tentative deal awaiting U.S. Defense
Department's approval, the air force would have an option to
buy the modified 767s at the end of the lease for a combined $4
billion.
(Reuters 11:46 PM ET 05/01/2003)

Mo
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================= ===============================================

On Wed, 23 Apr 2003 00:39:24 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:



Top Pentagon and White House officials on May 2 will revisit a
controversial $17 billion plan for the Air Force to lease 100
BOEING CO. 767 jets as refueling tankers, sources familiar with
the matter said on Monday. Boeing and Air Force officials have
been pressing for months to win approval for the unique leasing
arrangement that would also give the Air Force the option to buy
the jets for $4 billion at the end of the lease. The deal is
complicated because the government generally buys rather than
leases equipment like tankers. It has also sparked criticism
from some lawmakers, the Office of Management and Budget and
independent watchdog agencies.
(Reuters 05:34 PM ET 04/21/2003)

Mo
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================ ================================================

On Mon, 14 Apr 2003 18:24:19 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


BOEING CO.'s $17 billion plan to lease 100 of its 767 jets to the
U.S. Air Force as refueling tankers faces delay after U.S.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld sought information on
purchasing some of the planes, sources familiar with the matter
said. Also being informally examined is how the price per plane
could drop if another 80 to 100 of the tankers were to be
ordered, the sources said. Boeing and Air Force officials have
been hoping for months to get final clearance to proceed with
the unique leasing arrangement that would also give the Air
Force the option to buy the jets for $4 billion at the end of
the lease. Pentagon spokesman Glenn Flood dismissed any talk of
more than 100 aircraft. "The only plan is for 100. Any increase
above 100 would have to be approved by Congress and the White
House," he said.
(Reuters 05:06 PM ET 04/10/2003)

Mo
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On Tue, 11 Mar 2003 01:13:00 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is to review a $21 billion Air
Force plan to lease modified 767 BOEING CO. tankers that has
come under fire for its cost and financing, according to
sources familiar with the deal. Defense Undersecretary Edward
"Pete" Aldridge and Pentagon Comptroller Dov Zakheim, who make
up a panel that reviews leasing arrangements like the proposed
Boeing deal, are due to brief Rumsfeld. He was not expected to
approve or reject the deal at Monday's meeting, although
sources close to the negotiations said they expected him to
make a decision soon. Under the plan, the Air Force would pay
$17 billion to lease 100 planes to start replacing the
service's fleet of 40-year-old KC-135 tankers. Financial
service companies would set up a "special purpose entity" to
float bonds to buy the tankers from Boeing, and lease them to
the military.
(Reuters 05:33 PM ET 03/07/2003)

Mo
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On Thu, 13 Feb 2003 19:14:37 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
fjrn4vkjedt41 :


BOEING CO. expects a U.S. decision in the next 2 weeks on a
$17-billion tanker lease contract, a senior company official
said, adding that sales to the UK and others were also under
discussion. The world's largest aircraft maker aims to supply
100 tanker versions of its 767 commercial airliner to replace
the U.S. Air Force's ageing fleet of KC-135 tankers. "I'm
certain we'll have closure on it in the next two weeks," George
Muellner, Boeing senior VP for Air Force systems, told defense
reporters in London. "We've had dialogue with three or four
other countries, other than Italy and Japan," Muellner said.
Muellner said Japan had signed a deal this month and Australia
was interested. Italy signed a deal for four 767-based tankers
last month.
(Reuters 01:55 PM ET 01/29/2003)

Mo
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On Mon, 10 Feb 2003 03:57:25 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
4n8e4v8av75o :


Top Pentagon officials aim to decide next week whether to allow
the Air Force to lease 100 modified 767 BOEING CO. tankers to
replace its ageing fleet, Defense Undersecretary Edward
Aldridge said. "It's hard ... It's a major investment,"
Aldridge said of the controversial $17 billion deal, which
would give the Air Force up to 12 new tankers in 2006 and all
100 by 2011. For an additional $4 billion the Air Force would
be able to purchase the jets outright at the end of the lease,
sources familiar with the deal have said. Aldridge, the
Pentagon's chief weapons buyer, favors innovative and flexible
approaches to defense procurement, and his office has
championed streamlined acquisitions rules aimed at getting
weapons to the services more quickly.
(Reuters 03:42 PM ET 02/07/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 15 Jan 2003 01:12:47 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
d7d92v8q5sd :


The U.S. Air Force hopes to win approval in Q1 2003 for a
controversi al contract to lease 100 767 commercial jets from
BOEING CO., sources familiar with the discussions said on
Monday. The $17 billion lease contract - aimed at replacing the
Air Force's aging fleet of KC-135 tankers -- has been in the
works for over a year and still requires approval by top
Pentagon officials and U.S. lawmakers, who raised questions
last year about the costs of an earlier version of the
contract. The deal now under discussion would give the Air
Force 11 to 12 new tankers in 2006, with all 100 to be
delivered by 2011. For an additional $4 billion, the Air Force
will be able to purchase the jets outright at the end of the
lease, according to sources familiar with the deal.
(Reuters 06:22 PM ET 01/13/2003)

Mo
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----------

On Sun, 17 Nov 2002 00:43:37 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
ifpdtuovlh :


BOEING CO. said it no longer expected to wrap up as early as next
month a proposed deal, valued at as much as $18 billion, to
lease 100 aerial refueling tankers to the U.S. Air Force.
Instead, it may take until early next year to reach agreement
with the Air Force, partly because of a new Congress taking
office in January, said Jim Albaugh, president and chief
executiv e of Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems unit. "We're
in final negotiations with the customer," he told reporters at
a briefing on the company's scheduled first launch of its Delta
4 rocket.
(Reuters 12:52 PM ET 11/14/2002)

Mo
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========== ================================================== ====


On Sun, 10 Nov 2002 12:08:17 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
dvissu413 :


BOEING CO. said its proposal to lease 100 aerial refueling
tankers would cost the U.S. Air Force about $17 billion, some
$10 billion less than previously estimated, with an option to
purchas e the aircraft for another $4 billion. The current
estimat e must still be scrutinized by the Pentagon's Cost
Analysi s Improvement Group, but if accurate, it could ease
concern in Congress and at the White House over the initial
price tag of $26 billion to $28 billion. "It will turn out to
be more like the $17 to $18 billion we are talking about,"
Boeing' s VP for airlift and tanker programs Howard Chambers
told Reuters by telephone. "Over the last six months we have
gotten more clarity."
(Reuter s 03:08 PM ET 11/07/2002)

Mo
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On Wed, 06 Nov 2002 15:26:33 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
i4disug2 :



BOEING CO., still negotiating with the U.S. government, hopes to
close a key deal to lease modified 767 jetliners as refueling
tanker s to the U.S. Air Force by year-end, a spokesman said.
The price under discussion is now $17 billion for 100 refueling
tanker s, down from the originally estimated $26 billion that
failed to win approval in Washington, The Wall Street Journal
reported . Boeing, the second largest U.S. military contractor,
had hoped to close the deal long ago but has been thwarted by
concer ns over price and the value of buying versus leasing. At
one point, rival airplane manufacturer Airbus of Europe was
also trying to win the deal.
(Reute rs 11:42 AM ET 11/05/2002)

Mo
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On Wed, 04 Sep 2002 01:41:34 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
d5panuk :



GENER AL DYNAMICS CORP. said the U.S. Navy had given it and BOEING
CO. 30 days to pay $2.3 billion to settle an 11-year legal
battl e over the Pentagon's abrupt cancellation of the Navy's
A-12 fighter jet. "General Dynamics regards this demand as an
unseeml y negotiating tactic, and an apparent effort to gain
advanta ge during settlement talks," the company said, noting
that it would seek an injunction in federal court if the
settlem ent talks failed to reach a result before the 30-day
deadlin e. General Dynamics, Boeing and the Navy were in intense
discuss ions this summer to settle the matter, with one proposal
calli ng for the companies to provide goods and services to the
Navy valued at more than $2.5 billion, including discounts on
F-18E/F fighter jets it plans to buy in the future.
(Reuter s 03:19 PM ET 09/03/2002)

Mo
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======= ================================================== =======


On Thu, 08 Aug 2002 14:39:41 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larr y Dighera) wrote in Message ID
fj05lu :



Offici als at the U.S. Air Force and aircraft manufacturer BOEING
CO. said on Tuesday they were still hammering out an agreement
to lease 100 commercial Boeing 767s and convert them to aerial
refuel ing tankers, despite new White House criticism of the
propos ed deal. White House Budget Director Mitchell Daniels
said in a recent letter he would not support any proposal that
cost taxpayers more than an outright purchase. "The Air Force
and Boeing are still in negotiations," said Air Force
spokes woman Capt. Jessica Smith, noting the current fleet of
545 KC-135 tankers had an average age of 41 years. "We're
workin g to find the best deal for the taxpayers."
(Reute rs 05:53 PM ET 08/06/2002)

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On Thu, 18 Jul 2002 17:19:32 GMT, "W. D. Allen"
balle (W. D. Allen) wrote in Message ID
EMCZ8 :

Mor e like an Air Farce, not a Boeing, boondoggle! Can't sell something to a
custo mer when they do not want it!! Get it right or forget it!

WDA

end

"Larr y Dighera" wrote in message
news: ...

BOEING CO. CFO Mike Sears said the aerospace company expects to
sign a deal to lease air refueling tankers to the U.S. Air
Force by the end of summer. Congress authorized the Air Force
in December to negotiate a leasing deal with Boeing for 100
converted 767s to replace some aging KC-135 tankers. White
House and congressional budget experts had said it would be
cheaper to buy new planes or refurbish the old tankers than
sign a 10-year lease with an estimated cost of $26 billion to
$37 billion.
(Reuters 10:44 AM ET 07/17/2002)

Mo

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On Fri, 17 May 2002 03:34:14 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
:

----------------------------------------------------------------
Boeing Co (BA) (45.00 +0.45)

Replacing the oldest U.S. refueling aircraft remains an Air Force
priority, the service's secretary and chief of staff told
Congress Wednesday amid controversy over a proposed lease of
commercial aircraft from BOEING CO. The Air Force said concern
about the 43-year-old KC-135Es in its fleet had been heightened
by the increased pace of aerial refueling after the Sept. 11
attacks. Air Force Secretary James Roche rejected suggestions
that the Air Force could get by with its current refueling
fleet for 15 years or more. Replacement needs to start as soon
as possible, the Air Force said in a separate letter replying
to criticism of the proposed lease deal.
(Reuters 04:34 PM ET 05/15/2002)

Mo

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On Tue, 14 May 2002 00:55:42 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
:

----------------------------------------------------------------
Boeing Co (BA) (44.28 +0.65)

The Senate Armed Services Committee moved on Friday to boost
congressional oversight of a possible $26 billion Air Force
deal to lease BOEING CO. wide-body jets and turn them into
refueling tankers. Sen. John McCain said he was clearing the
way for public hearings on what he has described as a potential
taxpayer "rip-off." A measure adopted by the panel would force
the secretary of the Air Force to get specific funding for any
lease of Boeing 767 tankers -- a process that could delay any
deal to the next budget cycle if enacted into law.
(Reuters 05:15 PM ET 05/10/2002)

Mo

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0



On Thu, 09 May 2002 15:59:30 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
:


Boeing Co (BA) (44.41 +1.27)

Plans for the U.S. Air Force to lease BOEING CO. 767 commercial
aircraft as aerial refueling tankers is an expensive solution
that could actually cut overall fuel capacity, according to a
White House analysis obtained on Tuesday. Office of Management
and Budget Director Mitch Daniels said leasing the 100 767s to
start replacing a 40-year-old fleet of KC-135 tankers would
cost up to $26 billion and result in a slightly smaller overall
fuel capacity. A $3.2 billion upgrade of 126 KC-135s would
increase fleet capacity by a similar amount but the Air Force
had not chosen this route, Daniels said in a letter to leasing
critic, Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain.
(Reuters 07:52 PM ET 05/07/2002)

Mo

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07

On 18 Apr 2002 22:00:27 -0700, (Blain Shinno) (Blain
Shinno) wrote in Message ID
m:

Boeing expects to begin delivering aerial refueling tankers
based on its 767 wide-body jetliner, including some for Italian
and Japanese forces, by late 2004, with some 100 tankers for the
U.S. Air Force rolling off the line beginning in 2005.

I wonder how many tankers will be delivered each year. Seems a little
long to wait for leased tankers. I wonder when all of them will be
delivered? For $26 billion the USAF better have the option of buying
the tankers for $1 at the end of the lease. And how does the lease
impact the future buy of tankers? When will 767 derivatives start
rolling off the line? Following the delivery of leased tankers, or
after? How is that going to impact the budget?



  #29  
Old November 25th 03, 10:14 PM
Larry Dighera
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


BOEING CO.'s firing of two officials for unethical conduct is the
latest twist in a 2-year saga that has already substantially
changed a multibillion-dollar Pentagon plan to lease Boeing 767
refueling tankers and could stall the deal further. President
George W. Bush on Monday signed into law a $401.3 billion
defense spending bill that clears the way for the Air Force to
lease 20 tankers and buy 80 more in the future, but it is still
working out the details with Boeing. The Air Force on Monday
said it deplored ethical violations and was considering
requesting a separate investigation by the Pentagon's inspector
general, who launched a formal probe into improprieties in the
tanker deal months ago.
(Reuters 04:21 PM ET 11/24/2003)

Mo
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On Sat, 22 Nov 2003 17:48:24 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Senate Armed Services Committee member John McCain moved on
Thursday to force disclosure of Pentagon records on a
multibillion-dollar plan to acquire 100 BOEING CO. 767s as
refueling planes. In a letter to committee chairman John
Warner, McCain linked his quest to the fate of Michael Wynne,
President Bush's choice to be the Pentagon's new chief weapons
buyer. "I respectfully suggest that the Defense Department"
produce records sought for oversight of the Boeing deal "as the
committee prepares to consider Mr. Wynne's nomination," McCain
wrote. At a confirmation hearing for Wynne on Tuesday, Warner,
a Virginia Republican; Carl Levin of Michigan, the panel's top
Democrat; and McCain, an Arizona Republican, voiced concern
over Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz's refusal to hand
over documents at issue.
(Reuters 08:26 PM ET 11/20/2003)

Mo
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On Tue, 18 Nov 2003 23:32:38 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The Air Force plans to fund from its own budget the full
multibillion-dollar acquisition of 100 modified BOEING CO.
refueling planes and not ask any of the other armed services to
chip in, the Air Force's top military officer said. Gen. John
Jumper, the chief of staff, said he had no plans to lean on the
Army, Navy and Marine Corps -- a possibility the General
Accounting Office, Congress's investigative and audit arm, had
cited unnamed Air Force officials as raising. Among systems
that could be set back, other Air Force officials have said,
are LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP.'s F/A-22 multirole fighter and the
F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The Senate gave the Air Force final
congressional approval Wednesday to lease 20 modified 767s as
tankers and buy up to 80 others -- a deal projected by the
Pentagon to cost $27.6 billion through fiscal 2017.
(Reuters 04:44 PM ET 11/13/2003)

Mo
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================================================ ================

Key senators on Wednesday warned the U.S. Defense Department to
limit its order of BOEING CO. jetliners to the number
authorized under a law that funds the replacement of Air Force
refueling tankers. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman
John Warner, a Virginia Republican, made the point as the
Senate gave final approval to the tanker acquisition under
which the Air Force would lease 20 and buy up to 80 aircraft
used to fuel warplanes in midair. At issue could be billions of
dollars in potential savings to taxpayers. Originally, the Air
Force had sought to acquire all 100 modified 767s through
leases, with options to buy at the end of the planned 6-year
lease term. Some lawmakers opposed that plan, calling it too
expensive.
(Reuters 07:24 PM ET 11/12/2003)

Mo
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BOEING CO., banned in July from launching government satellites
for illegally acquiring a competitor's documents, on Tuesday
unveiled a new internal ethics office reporting directly to
company Chairman and CEO Phil Condit. Boeing said Senior VP
Bonnie Soodik would lead the new organization, assuming
responsibility for internal auditing, ethics, import-export
compliance, foreign sales consultants and a new U.S. securities
law holding managers more accountable for their actions. The
move comes as Boeing continues to wait for the Air Force to
lift its suspension of three Boeing units from government work,
a move that had been expected months ago. The Pentagon's
inspector general is also investigating whether Darleen Druyun,
a former Air Force official who now works for Boeing, improperly
shared proprietary data with Boeing during negotiations on a 767
tanker lease deal.
(Reuters 06:02 PM ET 11/11/2003)

Mo
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On Sat, 08 Nov 2003 17:05:13 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Congressional conferees have approved a multibillion-dollar
compromise plan for the Air Force to acquire 100 BOEING CO.
refueling aircraft, leasing the first 20 of them, the House of
Representatives Armed Services Committee said. Winding up a
2-year battle over the program, the House and Senate armed
services panels agreed the remaining 80 would be bought. The
leases will begin in fiscal 2006, which starts Oct. 1, 2005,
and the purchases will be through fiscal 2014. The deal was
part of the fiscal 2004 Defense Authorization Act, which
earmarks $400 billion for the Defense Department and national
security programs of the Energy Department. Under the revised
plan for tankers, which refuel other warplanes in mid-air, the
Defense Department will be required to conduct and report on an
independent assessment of the condition of the aging fleet of
KC-135 tankers.
(Reuters 10:08 AM ET 11/07/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=887...a&s=rb0311 07


On Fri, 07 Nov 2003 19:34:49 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The Pentagon, bowing to critics, said it would lease just 20
planes under a multibillion-dollar plan to acquire 100 BOEING
CO. jetliners for use as refueling tankers, buying the rest
outright. If approved by lawmakers, as now expected, the deal
would mark the first lease, rather than purchase, of a major
weapons system. It has roiled Congress for 2 years over charges
the Air Force was giving Boeing a sweetheart deal at taxpayer
expense. Originally, the Air Force had sought to lease all 100
tankers, derived from Boeing's commercial 767, and then planned
to buy them in a deal costing at least $22.4 billion through
2017. Under the new proposal, the Air Force would start
replacing its KC-135E tanker fleet, which average 43 years old,
with leased KC-767A planes tankers in 2006.
(Reuters 03:16 PM ET 11/06/2003)

Mo
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The White House said a deal is needed quickly that would let the
Air Force acquire new BOEING 767s as refueling planes. "There's
an urgent need to make this happen sooner rather than later,"
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said as congressional
negotiations continue over an original proposal to lease and
then buy 100 planes.
(Reuters 10:17 AM ET 11/06/2003)

Mo
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On Fri, 31 Oct 2003 21:14:48 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said he would "dearly love"
Congress to strike a deal that would let the Air Force acquire
new BOEING CO. 767s as refueling planes. He seemed to signal
acceptance of a scaled-back lease proposed by the Senate Armed
Services Committee, alone among four congressional oversight
panels to spurn the original plan, valued at more than $22
billion, to lease then buy 100 planes. "Political compromise is
what we do when the marbles have been divided and it's to be
expected," Rumsfeld told reporters at the Pentagon. The Senate
panel has proposed acquiring up to 100 planes by leasing 20 and
buying the rest -- a compromise formula designed to save
billions.
(Reuters 04:28 PM ET 10/30/2003)

Mo
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============================================= ===================
A study released on Tuesday raises questions about a U.S. Air
Force proposal to give BOEING CO. a $5.3 billion contract to
maintain 100 767 refueling tankers, the latest congressional
report to criticize the multibillion-dollar lease proposal.
Sen. John McCain, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee and
a vocal critic of the $24.3 billion lease and buy deal, released
the Congressional Research Service report challenging the Air
Force's assertion that Boeing is "uniquely qualified" to
provide initial maintenance support. CRS said many other
companies routinely serviced 767s, and Boeing was not "the
only, or even the largest, organization capable of handling the
maintenance needs of the 767." Air Force Secretary James Roche
told the Senate Armed Services Committee in a letter dated Oct.
9 that it made sense to give the maintenance contract to Boeing
since much of the 767 engineering data was proprietary. But CRS
said much of this data could be licensed to a third party to
handle maintenance.
(Reuters 06:57 PM ET 10/28/2003)

Mo
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On Tue, 28 Oct 2003 03:44:41 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Bad blood between the U.S. Congress and the Pentagon has taken a
toll on BOEING CO.'s multibillion-dollar drive to lease
jetliners to the Air Force as refueling planes, congressional
officials and private analysts said on Friday. The Boeing issue
laid bare growing strains between Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld and his top lieutenants, on the one hand, and the two
most powerful Republicans on the Senate Armed Services
Committee, on the other. Among other things, the chill reflects
pique at what officials on both sides of the aisle deem
Rumsfeld's sometimes-dismissive approach to Congress, for
instance on the situation in post-war Iraq. But it also
reflects perceived slights to Armed Services Committee Chairman
John Warner of Virginia, Congress's top overseer of the Defense
Department, and the panel's second-ranking Republican, John
McCain of Arizona.
(Reuters 06:20 PM ET 10/24/2003)

Mo
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============================================ ====================


The White House budget office discounted Thursday a key senator's
request to "revisit" its endorsement of a multibillion-dollar
Air Force plan to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767s as refueling
planes. The Office of Management and Budget will review Senate
Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain's written request sent
Wednesday, said a spokesman. President Bush said on Sept. 16
that he backed the proposed lease to start replacing aging
KC-135 tankers. The Air Force says the lease would give it
needed capability sooner than it could buy outright without
pinching other combat priorities. McCain has denounced the
proposed lease, designed to lead to purchases, as a bonanza for
Boeing and a bad deal for taxpayers that does not comply with
the fiscal 2002 legislation that authorized it.
(Reuters 05:00 PM ET 10/23/2003)

Mo
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============================================ ====================


The Senate Commerce Committee plans another hearing next week on
a controversial multibillion-dollar Air Force proposal to lease
100 BOEING CO. 767 tankers, as the Senate Armed Services
Committee continues weigh its options, including approving a
scaled-down lease. The armed services panel, chaired by
Virginia Republican Sen. John Warner, is the last of four
committees that must approve the lease deal -- which the Air
Force says it needs to begin replacing its fleet of aging
midair refueling tankers without incurring significant upfront
funding costs. Warner is under considerable political pressure
to approve the lease deal, but aides said the latest reports
only underscored his concerns about the higher cost of leasing.
(Reuters 06:49 PM ET 10/21/2003)

Mo
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On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 01:04:49 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The U.S. Air Force urged lawmakers to approve its plan to lease
100 BOEING CO. 767 refueling planes despite three new
congressional reports poking holes in what would be the first
such rental of a major weapons system. "The Air Force is hoping
that the Senate Armed Services Committee will approve our
original proposal to lease 100 tankers," said a spokeswoman,
Major Karen Finn. "The Air Force really needs this capability."
The Armed Services Committee is alone among the four military
oversight panels that has yet to approve the deal, designed to
acquire the tankers without significant upfront funding that
would squeeze other combat priorities. The service defended the
lease a day after the Congressional Budget Office found
taxpayers could reap $6.7 billion in savings with an outright
purchase, which is standard procurement procedure for arms
systems.
(Reuters 04:21 PM ET 10/17/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=877...a&s=rb0310 17

=========================================== =====================


On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 14:53:26 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

The top Democrat on the House of Representatives' Armed Services
Committee said he was having second thoughts on a $22.4 billion
Air Force plan to lease then buy BOEING Co. refueling planes,
citing studies that have challenged its financial soundness. "I
think it would be useful to bring members up to date on the many
reports and studies that have emerged since our hearings on the
issue," Rep. Ike Skelton of Missouri wrote panel chairman
Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., on Wednesday. Studies by the
Congressional Budget Office, General Accounting Office,
Institute for Defense Analyses and Congressional Research
Service have shown that acquiring the 100 modified Boeing 767
aircraft initially through a lease, as the Air Force hopes to
do, would cost $5.5 billion more than buying them outright.
(Reuters 12:53 PM ET 10/09/2003)

Mo
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The House of Representatives' Appropriations Committee voted to
press ahead with a $22.4 billion proposal to lease then buy
BOEING CO. 737s as Air Force refueling planes. But the move to
lease 100 modified 767s as mid-air tankers starting in 2006 --
identical to a Senate appropriations measure -- highlighted
misgivings about the deal among what appeared to be a growing
number of lawmakers. The panel shot down, 33 to 28, a rival
plan, jokingly introduced by its top Democrat, David Obey of
Wisconsin, that would have earmarked $14 billion to start
buying the aircraft outright rather than leasing them first.
"If you want to save the taxpayers money, the best way is to
buy them now," Obey said in bating colleagues to own up to the
lease's extra costs and exercise what he portrayed as fiscal
responsibility.
(Reuters 03:16 PM ET 10/09/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 18:16:49 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

New questions emerged about the personal ties between BOEING CO.
and Darleen Druyun, a former top Air Force official who got a
job with the company after helping negotiate a multibillion
dollar deal to lease Boeing 767s as airborne refueling tankers.
The National Legal and Policy Center, a conservative nonprofit
group opposing the lease deal, released public records that
show Druyun agreed to sell her Virginia home to a senior Boeing
attorney while still working for the Air Force as a procurement
official. She had been deputy assistant secretary for Air Force
acquisition and management. The group also said Druyun's
daughter and son-in-law both work for Boeing, a fact confirmed
by the Chicago-based company.
(Reuters 03:18 PM ET 10/07/2003)

Mo
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========================================= =======================

On Sun, 05 Oct 2003 23:33:50 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

The nonpartisan U.S. Congressional Research Service raised new
doubts on Wednesday about a fresh Pentagon push to acquire
BOEING CO. 767 aircraft as midair refueling tankers through a
lease. The research service said the Defense Department's
latest proposal bolstered the case for purchasing the aircraft
outright, rather than leasing them first in a deal valued at
$22.4 billion. Earlier this month the Senate Armed Services
Committee put off what was to have been a final vote on the
lease proposal. Chairman John Warner, a Virginia Republican,
and the committee's top Democrat, Carl Levin of Michigan, asked
the Pentagon for data on leasing no more than 25 Boeing 767s,
down from the 100 sought by the Air Force.
(Reuters 07:46 PM ET 10/01/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 01 Oct 2003 23:01:27 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Air Force officials on Monday staunchly defended a $22.4 billion
air tanker lease agreement some critics say is a sweetheart
deal for BOEING CO. in the face of tough questions from Senate
aides. Air Force acquisitions chief Marvin Sambur and Lt. Gen.
Michael Zettler, deputy chief of staff for installations and
logistics, met with military legislative aides hoping to pave
the way for approval by the Senate Armed Services Committee of
the plan to lease then buy 100 Boeing 767 tankers. They held a
similar -- and equally contentious -- briefing for Senate
professional staffers on Friday, aides said. Despite the
last-minute push by the Air Force, Senate aides said they did
not expect the Senate Armed Services Committee to vote on the
controversial lease deal this week, putting off any action
until at least mid-October, after a one-week recess. The
committee is the final of four congressional panels to review
the deal. The other three have approved it.
(Reuters 08:08 PM ET 09/29/2003)

Mo
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======================================= =========================


On Fri, 26 Sep 2003 18:47:59 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Senate Armed Services Committee member John McCain, who helped
stall a $22.4 billion Air Force plan to lease then buy BOEING
CO. tankers, rejected as "non-responsive" a modified Defense
Department proposal. The Pentagon still has "not adequately
justified spending what it now acknowledges will be billions of
dollars more to acquire tankers through a lease," McCain, an
Arizona Republican, said in letters to the armed services
panel's leaders. McCain's new qualms could translate into
further delays for the tanker deal -- a plan to lease a major
weapons system for the first time rather than buy it outright.
(Reuters 04:53 PM ET 09/25/2003)

Mo
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====================================== ==========================



The Pentagon's inspector general may issue a subpoena to BOEING
CO. and the U.S. Air Force for all written materials on a $22.4
billion deal to lease then buy 100 Boeing 767 tankers,
congressional and administration sources said on Monday. They
said Inspector General Joseph Schmitz is considering the
unusual move as he investigates possible impropriety in the
lease proposal that critics including U.S. Sen. John McCain
have blasted as a sweetheart deal for Boeing. The Pentagon's
in-house watchdog agency kicked off its investigation based on
documents provided by Boeing to Senate Commerce Committee
Chairman McCain, an Arizona Republican. But investigators,
including an FBI agent, want to see a complete and full record
of documents related to the case, the sources said.
(Reuters 05:40 PM ET 09/22/2003)

Mo
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Boeing Co (BA) (35.15 +0.26)

The Pentagon urged senators to approve a modified $22.4 billion
deal to lease, then buy, 100 BOEING CO. 767 tankers, seeking
authority to buy 26 of the tankers before their 6-year leases
expire to pare total program costs by $1.2 billion. Deputy
Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said buying the 26 tankers
early, between 2008 and 2010, would add $2.4 billion in initial
budget costs while lowering total program costs and allowing the
Air Force to immediately begin modernizing its 43-year-old fleet
of KC-135 tankers. "The optimum approach must balance the total
cost of the program, the additional funds needed ... and the
delivery schedule for the new capability," he told the Senate
Armed Services Committee, the last of four congressional panels
that must vote on the lease deal.
(Reuters 02:53 PM ET 09/23/2003)

Mo
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====================================== ==========================


On Fri, 19 Sep 2003 14:44:14 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The Pentagon's inspector general has told Congress he plans a
formal investigation of possible impropriety involving the U.S.
Air Force's $22.4 billion proposal to lease then buy BOEING 767
aircraft as refueling tankers, a U.S. lawmaker said on
Wednesday. The inspector general, Joseph Schmitz, has concluded
that "sufficient credible information exists to warrant" a
formal investigation, said Sen. John McCain, an Arizona
Republican who has denounced the lease proposal as a sweetheart
deal for Boeing. "Up to now, it appears that the interests of
taxpayers have been subordinated to those of Boeing," McCain
said in disclosing the upgraded probe. In recent weeks, the
Pentagon's in-house watchdog has carried out a preliminary
inquiry into, among other things, whether an Air Force official
gave Boeing proprietary pricing data from Airbus, a rival for
the deal, Congressional staffmembers said.
(Reuters 10:50 PM ET 09/17/2003)

Mo
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President George W. Bush backed a controversial Air Force plan to
lease BOEING 767 aircraft as refueling tankers despite criticism
from Congress, according to an interview. "I do support it," he
said in an interview with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and
other regional newspapers. Senate Armed Services Committee
Chairman John Warner, a Virginia Republican, and Carl Levin of
Michigan, the panel's top Democrat, have asked Defense
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to consider slashing the Air Force
proposal to lease and then buy 100 767s for $22.4 billion. The
senators have suggested leasing no more than 25 767s while
getting the rest of any needed tankers through standard
purchase procedures. Air Force Secretary James Roche said the
Air Force was still working on a lease-to-own deal, a possible
reference to the up to 25 aircraft that Warner and Levin have
suggested.
(Reuters 01:34 PM ET 09/17/2003)

Mo
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===================================== ===========================


On Sat, 13 Sep 2003 15:18:18 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Sen. John McCain said that BOEING CO. appeared to have improperly
slanted the Pentagon process that led to its troubled $22.4
billion plan to lease then sell modified refueling tankers to
the Air Force. "To the extent that Boeing did so, its conduct
might have constituted an organizational conflict of interest
or anti-competitive behavior," he said in pressing Joseph
Schmitz, the Defense Department inspector general, to expand an
inquiry into the matter. In a separate letter, McCain, a member
of the Armed Services Committee, called on Defense Secretary
Donald Rumsfeld to provide all records relating to the lease
proposal from both Air Force Secretary James Roche and the
Pentagon's acting chief weapons buyer, Michael Wynne.
(Reuters 08:38 PM ET 09/11/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 10 Sep 2003 19:35:53 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

The U.S. Air Force on Monday said it expected to respond by early
next week to a letter from the Senate Armed Services Committee
proposing a scaled-down lease of 25 BOEING CO. 767s tankers.
"We're in the process of preparing our letter," said Air Force
spokeswoman Gloria Cales. "We should have our response pulled
together later this week or early next week." Cales gave no
details, but Air Force acquisitions chief Marvin Sambur last
week said it would be "significantly more expensive" to lease
fewer airplanes, due to lost volume discounts and the impact of
inflation. Once the Air Force completed its response, it would
go to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for approval, she said.
(Reuters 06:17 PM ET 09/08/2003)

Mo
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On Sat, 06 Sep 2003 11:43:43 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Sen. John McCain, who has criticized the cost of a U.S. Air Force
proposal to lease BOEING CO. 767s as refueling tankers, said on
Friday he would press Air Force Secretary James Roche and other
top Pentagon officials to hand over all records on the deal.
"We'll be asking for as much information as we can get," McCain
said in a telephone interview, 1 day after the Senate Armed
Services Committee on which he serves delayed an expected vote
on a $22.4 billion lease-to-buy plan.
(Reuters 04:23 PM ET 09/05/2003)

Mo
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================================== ==============================


On Fri, 05 Sep 2003 17:20:17 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

The Pentagon's Inspector General announced a formal investigation
into whether an Air Force official improperly shared data with
BOEING CO., raising new questions about a $22.4 billion Air
Force deal to lease, then buy 100 767 tankers. Sen. John McCain
cited the investigation and once again blasted the proposed
lease deal at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing, while Alaska
Republican Sen. Ted Stevens underscored what he called the
urgency of quickly replacing the Air Force's aging fleet of
KC-135 tankers due to increased wartime use. McCain said
documents provided by Chicago-based Boeing, the Air Force and
the Pentagon which prompted the investigation showed an
"extremely aggressive sales pitch" for the deal.
(Reuters 04:11 PM ET 09/03/2003)

Mo
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Darleen Druyun, a former Air Force official, offered as early as
October 2001 to meet with investors to stress the low risk of a
deal for the Air Force to lease Boeing tankers, a BOEING CO.
memorandum shows. The Pentagon's Inspector General on Wednesday
launched a formal investigation into whether the Air Force
shared proprietary data with Boeing, an inquiry defense
officials said was focused on Druyun, who joined Boeing in
January 2003 after retiring from the Air Force in November
2002. Boeing denies it received any proprietary data during the
negotiations, and Druyun had declined interview requests. The
company insists Druyun has not been involved in the lease
negotiations since joining the company, adhering firmly to
federal rules for former defense officials. Pentagon
investigators will try to determine if Druyun overstepped her
bounds in those discussions, but congressional sources said it
was clear from a series of emails provided to lawmakers by
Boeing that she played a key role early in the Air Force's
negotiations with Boeing.
(Reuters 08:12 PM ET 09/03/2003)

Mo
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Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner said his
panel would not rush to a vote on a controversial Air Force
plan to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767 refueling tankers, which has
been dogged by questions about its cost and propriety. "We owe
an obligation to the taxpayers to very carefully assess this
issue," the Virginia Republican said at the opening of a
hearing into the $22.4 billion Air Force proposal to lease and
then buy 100 aerial tankers. Warner said members of his panel
would hold discussions in a closed hearing after taking
testimony from witnesses before he would schedule a vote.
(Reuters 10:26 AM ET 09/04/2003)

Mo
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The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee has asked Defense
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to look at leasing just one quarter
of the 100 BOEING CO. 767s sought by the Air Force as refueling
tankers, officials said. The committee will postpone a vote on
the Air Force's plan until it gets a Pentagon analysis, the
officials said.
(Reuters 05:05 PM ET 09/04/2003)

Mo
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On Wed, 03 Sep 2003 03:45:48 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Dozens of email exchanges among BOEING CO., the Air Force and the
Pentagon released on Saturday raised fresh questions about a
controversial $22.5 billion deal to lease, then buy 100 Boeing
767 tankers. The documents were among more than 8,000 provided
to the Senate Commerce Committee as it investigated a deal its
chairman, Sen. John McCain describes as a "military-industrial
rip-off" and a government bailout of Boeing, whose commercial
aircraft sales slumped after the September 2001 hijack attacks.
The documents contain no "smoking guns," congressional sources
say, but they show a close relationship between Boeing and Air
Force officials, including Air Force Secretary James Roche, as
well as details of a rival bid by Airbus SA.
(Reuters 05:11 PM ET 08/30/2003)

Mo
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Critics of a $22.4 billion Air Force proposal to lease, then buy,
100 Boeing 767s as refueling tankers plan to raise financing and
cost concerns at a Senate hearing on Wednesday in a final bid to
block the deal. Defense analysts predict tough questions in the
Senate Commerce Committee and other hearings this week, but say
the need to replace the Air Force's KC-135 tankers, which are on
average 43 years old, will ultimately win the votes needed for
approval. Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, chairman of the
Commerce Committee, blasts the deal as a government bailout of
BOEING CO., whose commercial aircraft sales slumped after the
September 2001 hijack attacks. The Congressional Budget Office,
the General Accounting Office and several government watchdog
groups are also skeptical of the deal, which has already won
needed approval from three of four congressional committees.
(Reuters 05:06 PM ET 09/02/2003)

Mo
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================================ ================================


On Mon, 01 Sep 2003 16:12:34 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


BOEING CO. rejected published reports that it might have obtained
rival bidder Airbus SAS's proprietary information while
negotiating a proposed $22.5 billion refueling tanker
lease-purchase agreement with the U.S. Air Force. "Boeing
believes we did not receive any proprietary information from
any official on any subject throughout the entire tanker
lease-negotiation process," said Doug Kennett, a spokesman for
the company. Earlier in the day, the Seattle
Post-Intelligencer, citing an unnamed source, reported what it
called new allegations that a senior Air Force official had
"provided Boeing with proprietary information" about Airbus's
offer to supply its own aircraft and modify them for the
refueling mission. The French-German aerospace firm that
controls Airbus said its response to the U.S. Air Force's
original request for tanker bids was "proprietary in nature and
was furnished to the Air Force in confidence."
(Reuters 01:31 PM ET 08/29/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=859...a&s=rb0308 29

=============================== =================================


On Mon, 01 Sep 2003 15:07:06 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :



-------------------------------------------------------------------
AVflash Volume 9, Number 36a September 1, 2003
-------------------------------------------------------------------

BOEING TO FACE SENATE HEARING ON TANKER LEASE
Boeing is under scrutiny, and the heat is about to intensify on
Wednesday, when a hearing will be held by the Senate Commerce
Committee about the planemaker's $21-billion leasing deal with the
U.S. Air Force for 100 B767 aerial refueling tankers. A report issued
last week by the Congressional Budget Office concluded that "the
proposed transaction would essentially be a purchase of the tankers by
the federal government but at a cost greater than would be incurred
under the normal appropriation and procurement process." The Seattle
Post-Intelligencer reported Friday that Boeing may have had improper
access to information about Airbus's competing proposal for the tanker
deal. Boeing denied that allegation. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a
longtime vocal critic of the lease -- which he has termed "corporate
welfare" for Boeing -- will preside over the hearing. Boeing has
already been in trouble for "industrial espionage" this summer.
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#185597



On Wed, 27 Aug 2003 16:15:04 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The U.S. Congressional Budget Office said the U.S. Air Force's
plan to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767s as refueling tankers will
cost $1.3 billion to $2 billion more than an outright purchase.
The congressional agency said the proposed lease also failed to
meet four out of six conditions set for government leases by
the White House Office of Management and Budget. In a report
published on its web site, CBO said on average, the Air Force
would spent $161 million for each new refueling tanker in 2002
dollars, compared to a cost of $131 million for an outright
purchase. Two Senate committee plan hearings on the deal next
week. The Air Force has said the deal would be about $150
million more costly than a purchase, but say leasing is
preferable since it would allow the military to begin replacing
its aging fleet of KC-135 refueling tanker far sooner.
(Reuters 04:27 PM ET 08/26/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=858...a&s=rb0308 26

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On Tue, 29 Jul 2003 14:37:39 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :



A key panel in the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday
approved Air Force plans to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767 refueling
tankers, saying the lease would tie up less money in coming
years than a purchase. "(The tanker leasing proposal) allows us
to replace the aging fleet more quickly, while retaining an
essential combat capability over the next several decades,"
Rep. Duncan Hunter, chair of the House Armed Services
Committee, said in a statement late on Friday. "For this
reason, I am endorsing the proposal by the Secretary of Defense
to lease 100 KC-767 aerial refueling tankers from the Boeing
Corporation. The required notification will be sent this
evening."
(Reuters 01:58 AM ET 07/26/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=846...a&s=rb0307 26

============================ ====================================

On Fri, 25 Jul 2003 10:51:58 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The General Accounting Office raised questions about U.S. Air
Force plans to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767 refueling tankers,
saying the purchase cost of the planes after the 6-year lease
was higher than that reported by the military. GAO's $173.5
million per plane price is substantially higher than the $138.4
million -- $131 million plus $7.4 million for financing costs --
cited by the Air Force, said Neal Curtin, director of defense
capabilities for the congressional investigative agency. Curtin
told the House Armed Services Committee he also had concerns
about the "special purpose entity" created to own the aircraft
and lease them to the Air Force. The Air Force has already won
the approval of the House and Senate Appropriations committees,
and says it hopes to move forward on the deal by September.
(Reuters 10:51 AM ET 07/23/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=844...a&s=rb0307 23

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On Tue, 15 Jul 2003 10:02:11 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

BOEING CO. said a controversial plan to lease 100 tanker aircraft
to the U.S. Air Force would offer good value and speed badly
needed planes into service. An Air Force analysis delivered to
Congress last Friday showed leasing could cost as much as $1.9
billion more than a straight purchase, more than 10% of the
proposed $17.2 billion deal, which would include an option to
buy for another $4 billion. Critics including Republican Sen.
John McCain of Arizona have blasted the deal as a
taxpayer-funded handout to Boeing, which has been badly hurt by
a slump in orders for its commercial jets since the Sept. 11,
2001 hijack attacks. But Air Force and Boeing officials argue
that the tanker fleet, with an average age of 43 years,
urgently needs an upgrade, saying the maintenance savings from
the 100 proposed new aircraft would be worth $5 billion.
(Reuters 03:24 PM ET 07/14/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=840...a&s=rb0307 14

========================== ======================================


On Mon, 07 Jul 2003 10:19:06 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :



-------------------------------------------------------------------
AVflash Volume 9, Number 28a July 7, 2003
-------------------------------------------------------------------

BOEING GETS AID FUNDS?...
It's the U.S.'s largest exporter and by far its largest aerospace
company, so when Boeing stamps its feet, the ground shakes under most
of us. Lately the Chicago-headquartred manufacturer has been
attracting the attention of critics who claim Boeing is drawing too
much from the government trough. The Citizens Against Government Waste
(CAGW) has formally asked the House Armed Services Subcommittee to
oppose a $21 billion deal for Boeing to lease 100 767 aerial tankers
to the Air Force. The CAGW claims upgrading the existing fleet of 127
707-based KC-135s would cost $3.8 billion and it also points out that
after leasing the 767s for 10 years the planes go back to Boeing. The
company is also (according to some) seeing some extremely generous
offers from states and towns as it dangles the carrot of 1,000 jobs to
be won by the location that will build its new 7E7 Dreamliner.
http://www.avweb.com/newswire/9_28a/...85269-1.html#2
------------------------------------------------------------------



On Thu, 26 Jun 2003 01:07:00 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


The Pentagon is working on an amendment to the proposed fiscal
2004 defense budget as a result of its plan to lease 100 BOEING
CO. 767s as refueling tankers, a top Air Force official said
Tuesday. Air Force Lt. Gen. Michael Zettler, deputy chief of
staff for installations and logistics, gave no details about
the amount of the request when he testified to the House Armed
Forces Committee's subcommittee on projection forces. The
hearing was the first of several expected on the controversial
proposed $16 billion lease agreement aimed at starting to
replace the Air Force's fleet of 543 KC-135 refueling tankers,
which average 42 years in age.
(Reuters 06:50 PM ET 06/24/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=833...a&s=rb0306 24

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On Wed, 18 Jun 2003 20:15:49 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Sen. John McCain, who has called a U.S. military contract with
BOEING CO. a "rip-off," sent a letter to Boeing Chief Executive
Philip Condit requesting documents related to the deal, The Wall
Street Journal reported. McCain, the chair of the U.S. Senate's
Commerce Committee, is seeking all communication between Boeing
and government officials related to the lease, as well as
documents from Boeing's interactions with commercial and
foreign government customers. A representative of Boeing could
not immediately be reached for comment, but a spokesman told
the Journal that Boeing received the letter and planned a
response. Critics of the deal have called on U.S. lawmakers to
delay approval of a $16 billion deal in which the Air Force
will lease planes from Boeing to replace its aging fleet of
refueling aircraft.
(Reuters 05:53 AM ET 06/17/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=829...a&s=rb0306 17



On Thu, 12 Jun 2003 13:33:18 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :


Seven independent groups blasted a $16 billion BOEING CO. lease
deal with the Air Force as "a profligate waste of taxpayer
dollars" and said lawmakers should delay its approval until a
criminal investigation into another Boeing contract is
completed. Boeing, anticipating the letter, on Monday bought
full-page advertisements in major U.S. newspapers, admitting
its employees acted improperly during a fierce competition with
LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP. for a $2 billion rocket deal. But Boeing
Chairman and Chief Executive Phil Condit said the company had
taken appropriate action after it learned of the errors and
would not tolerate unethical behavior. The Project on
Government Oversight, which also signed the letter, rejected
Condit's statement and said it had documented 36 cases of
misconduct or alleged misconduct by Boeing workers between 1990
and 2002, resulting in about $348 million in fines or penalties,
restitution and settlement fees.
(Reuters 01:00 AM ET 06/10/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=826...a&s=rb0306 10

----------------------------------------------------------------


On Thu, 29 May 2003 13:11:07 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


U.S. senators will hold a hearing in early June on a $16 billion
plan for BOEING CO. to lease 100 modified 767 jets to the Air
Force, but congressional aides and defense experts did not
expect the deal to run into last-minute problems on Capitol
Hill. Despite the Bush administration's approval of the lease,
defense experts said they did not expect it to be the harbinger
of a new Pentagon preference for leasing military equipment.
"It's going to sail through Congress," said Loren Thompson,
head of the Virginia-based Lexington Institute. "I don't see it
being held up. The Air Force wants it, the administration wants
it and some very key people in both houses of Congress want it."
(Reuters 05:19 PM ET 05/27/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=821...a&s=rb0305 27

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On Sun, 25 May 2003 09:49:28 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


The White House budget office said that scant headway had been
made as far as it was concerned toward a proposed
multibillion-dollar Air Force tanker-lease deal with BOEING CO.
despite a string of high-level meetings. "OMB (Office of
Management and Budget) doesn't see a lot of progress since last
week," said spokesman Trent Duffy. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul
Wolfowitz discussed a revised proposal Tuesday night with both
the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer, Edward Aldridge, and Air
Force secretary James Roche. Wolfowitz is "taking the proposed
tanker lease under advisement," Cheryl Irwin, a Pentagon
spokeswoman, said. She said she did not know how long a
decision might take. The deal has been under discussion since
early last year.
(Reuters 06:53 PM ET 05/21/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=819...a&s=rb0305 21

----------------------------------------------------------------



Top Pentagon officials late on Tuesday began reviewing the Air
Force's plans to lease 100 BOEING CO. 767s as refueling tankers
after the company further lowered its price, sources familiar
with the agreement said. After nonstop negotiations, Boeing had
agreed to lower the price for each of the modified 767-200ER
planes below the figure of $136 million reported last week. The
price of the overall lease deal -- which critics have blasted as
corporate welfare for a company hard hit by a slump in
commercial sales -- was now below $17 billion, including the
terms of the 6-year lease and an Air Force purchase at the end
of the lease, the sources said. The initial deal called for the
Air Force to pay $17 billion for the lease, and $4 billion for
purchase at the end.
(Reuters 05:35 PM ET 05/20/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=818...a&s=rb0305 20

----------------------------------------------------------------


On Tue, 13 May 2003 02:14:28 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


BOEING CO. has agreed to reduce by 6% the price of a multibillion
deal to lease 100 767 aircraft to the Air Force as refueling
tankers, defense officials said. The officials, who asked not
to be named, said Boeing officials had agreed to trim the price
of each 767-ER200 aircraft by $9 million to about $141 million
each. The officials said a decision on the deal -- which has
been in the works for over 18 months -- could come soon. But
they said defense officials were at pains to review the
agreement very carefully, since it marked the first time the
U.S. military would lease -- rather than buy -- such a large
number of aircraft. The lease had been expected to cost $17
billion over 6 years, with the Air Force to pay an additional
$4 billion to buy the planes at the end of the term.
(Reuters 02:01 PM ET 05/12/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=814...a&s=rb0305 12

----------------------------------------------------------------


On Fri, 09 May 2003 01:13:04 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:

The Defense Department still has issues to resolve before
endorsing a multibillion dollar U.S. Air Force proposal to
lease 100 BOEING CO. 767s as refueling tankers, the prime
congressional mover behind the plan said Wednesday. "I'm
talking to all parties, trying to move this thing forward --
and we're still not quite there yet," said Rep. Norm Dicks, the
Washington Democrat who spearheaded the law authorizing the
unusual leasing arrangement. The Air Force and Boeing have been
working on the proposed lease for more than a year. Their
tentative deal involved a $17 billion lease over 6 years, with
an option to purchase the aircraft for another $4 billion at
the end of the lease. By some accounts, the Defense Department
had been expected to sign off any day now following a fresh
round of meetings on Friday and over the weekend that
reportedly lowered the cost to the Air Force.
(Reuters 05:39 PM ET 05/07/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=812...a&s=rb0305 07

----------------------------------------------------------------


On Wed, 07 May 2003 17:40:54 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:



Pentagon lawyers are taking a final look at a proposed
multibillion Air Force lease of 100 BOEING CO. 767 jets as
refueling tankers and the deal could be approved later Tuesday,
defense officials said. But sources familiar with the
negotiations warned the deal -- which critics blast as a
corporate handout to Boeing -- has been in the works for more
than 18 months and last-minute issues have delayed its approval
more than once. Negotiators from Chicago-based Boeing, the Air
Force and the Office of the Secretary of Defense succeeded over
the weekend in narrowing the differences between the cost of the
deal as estimated by the Air Force and the independent Institute
for Defense Analyses, the officials said. Under the terms of the
original deal, the Air Force would spend $17 billion to lease
the 100 planes for 6 years, paying an additional $4 billion to
buy them at the end of the term.
(Reuters 12:04 PM ET 05/06/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=811...a&s=rb0305 06

================= ===============================================

On Sat, 03 May 2003 04:38:27 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:



BOEING CO. said its plan to lease 100 767 commercial jets to the
U.S. Air Force as refueling tankers could generate as much as
$2.8 billion in support revenues over the projected life of the
proposed $17 billion lease. John Sams, the Boeing official who
negotiated the deal with the air force, said each aircraft was
projected to spin off $4.8 million a year during the projected
6-year lease, assuming 750 hours of flying time. This figure
would include all spare parts, training and simulators, the
company said, and total $28.8 million per tanker over the 6
years. If the leases were extended, Boeing's take would rise
correspondingl y. Under a tentative deal awaiting U.S. Defense
Department's approval, the air force would have an option to
buy the modified 767s at the end of the lease for a combined $4
billion.
(Reuters 11:46 PM ET 05/01/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=810...a&s=rb0305 01

================ ================================================

On Wed, 23 Apr 2003 00:39:24 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:



Top Pentagon and White House officials on May 2 will revisit a
controversial $17 billion plan for the Air Force to lease 100
BOEING CO. 767 jets as refueling tankers, sources familiar with
the matter said on Monday. Boeing and Air Force officials have
been pressing for months to win approval for the unique leasing
arrangement that would also give the Air Force the option to buy
the jets for $4 billion at the end of the lease. The deal is
complicated because the government generally buys rather than
leases equipment like tankers. It has also sparked criticism
from some lawmakers, the Office of Management and Budget and
independent watchdog agencies.
(Reuters 05:34 PM ET 04/21/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=804...a&s=rb0304 21

=============== =================================================

On Mon, 14 Apr 2003 18:24:19 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


BOEING CO.'s $17 billion plan to lease 100 of its 767 jets to the
U.S. Air Force as refueling tankers faces delay after U.S.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld sought information on
purchasing some of the planes, sources familiar with the matter
said. Also being informally examined is how the price per plane
could drop if another 80 to 100 of the tankers were to be
ordered, the sources said. Boeing and Air Force officials have
been hoping for months to get final clearance to proceed with
the unique leasing arrangement that would also give the Air
Force the option to buy the jets for $4 billion at the end of
the lease. Pentagon spokesman Glenn Flood dismissed any talk of
more than 100 aircraft. "The only plan is for 100. Any increase
above 100 would have to be approved by Congress and the White
House," he said.
(Reuters 05:06 PM ET 04/10/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=800...a&s=rb0304 10


On Tue, 11 Mar 2003 01:13:00 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is to review a $21 billion Air
Force plan to lease modified 767 BOEING CO. tankers that has
come under fire for its cost and financing, according to
sources familiar with the deal. Defense Undersecretary Edward
"Pete" Aldridge and Pentagon Comptroller Dov Zakheim, who make
up a panel that reviews leasing arrangements like the proposed
Boeing deal, are due to brief Rumsfeld. He was not expected to
approve or reject the deal at Monday's meeting, although
sources close to the negotiations said they expected him to
make a decision soon. Under the plan, the Air Force would pay
$17 billion to lease 100 planes to start replacing the
service's fleet of 40-year-old KC-135 tankers. Financial
service companies would set up a "special purpose entity" to
float bonds to buy the tankers from Boeing, and lease them to
the military.
(Reuters 05:33 PM ET 03/07/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=785...a&s=rb0303 07

On Thu, 13 Feb 2003 19:14:37 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
fjrn4vkjedt4 :


BOEING CO. expects a U.S. decision in the next 2 weeks on a
$17-billion tanker lease contract, a senior company official
said, adding that sales to the UK and others were also under
discussion . The world's largest aircraft maker aims to supply
100 tanker versions of its 767 commercial airliner to replace
the U.S. Air Force's ageing fleet of KC-135 tankers. "I'm
certain we'll have closure on it in the next two weeks," George
Muellner, Boeing senior VP for Air Force systems, told defense
reporters in London. "We've had dialogue with three or four
other countries, other than Italy and Japan," Muellner said.
Muellner said Japan had signed a deal this month and Australia
was interested. Italy signed a deal for four 767-based tankers
last month.
(Reuters 01:55 PM ET 01/29/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=768...a&s=rb0301 29


On Mon, 10 Feb 2003 03:57:25 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
4n8e4v8av75 :


Top Pentagon officials aim to decide next week whether to allow
the Air Force to lease 100 modified 767 BOEING CO. tankers to
replace its ageing fleet, Defense Undersecretary Edward
Aldridge said. "It's hard ... It's a major investment,"
Aldridge said of the controversial $17 billion deal, which
would give the Air Force up to 12 new tankers in 2006 and all
100 by 2011. For an additional $4 billion the Air Force would
be able to purchase the jets outright at the end of the lease,
sources familiar with the deal have said. Aldridge, the
Pentagon' s chief weapons buyer, favors innovative and flexible
approache s to defense procurement, and his office has
champione d streamlined acquisitions rules aimed at getting
weapons to the services more quickly.
(Reuters 03:42 PM ET 02/07/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=773...a&s=rb0302 07

On Wed, 15 Jan 2003 01:12:47 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
d7d92v8q5s :


The U.S. Air Force hopes to win approval in Q1 2003 for a
controvers ial contract to lease 100 767 commercial jets from
BOEING CO., sources familiar with the discussions said on
Monday. The $17 billion lease contract - aimed at replacing the
Air Force's aging fleet of KC-135 tankers -- has been in the
works for over a year and still requires approval by top
Pentagon officials and U.S. lawmakers, who raised questions
last year about the costs of an earlier version of the
contract . The deal now under discussion would give the Air
Force 11 to 12 new tankers in 2006, with all 100 to be
delivere d by 2011. For an additional $4 billion, the Air Force
will be able to purchase the jets outright at the end of the
lease, according to sources familiar with the deal.
(Reuters 06:22 PM ET 01/13/2003)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=759...a&s=rb0301 13

----------

On Sun, 17 Nov 2002 00:43:37 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
ifpdtuovl :


BOEING CO. said it no longer expected to wrap up as early as next
month a proposed deal, valued at as much as $18 billion, to
lease 100 aerial refueling tankers to the U.S. Air Force.
Instead , it may take until early next year to reach agreement
with the Air Force, partly because of a new Congress taking
office in January, said Jim Albaugh, president and chief
executi ve of Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems unit. "We're
in final negotiations with the customer," he told reporters at
a briefing on the company's scheduled first launch of its Delta
4 rocket.
(Reuter s 12:52 PM ET 11/14/2002)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=737...a&s=rb0211 14

========= ================================================== =====


On Sun, 10 Nov 2002 12:08:17 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
dvissu41 :


BOEING CO. said its proposal to lease 100 aerial refueling
tanker s would cost the U.S. Air Force about $17 billion, some
$10 billion less than previously estimated, with an option to
purcha se the aircraft for another $4 billion. The current
estima te must still be scrutinized by the Pentagon's Cost
Analys is Improvement Group, but if accurate, it could ease
concer n in Congress and at the White House over the initial
price tag of $26 billion to $28 billion. "It will turn out to
be more like the $17 to $18 billion we are talking about,"
Boeing 's VP for airlift and tanker programs Howard Chambers
told Reuters by telephone. "Over the last six months we have
gotten more clarity."
(Reute rs 03:08 PM ET 11/07/2002)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=734...a&s=rb0211 07

----------------------------------------------------------------

On Wed, 06 Nov 2002 15:26:33 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
i4disug :



BOEIN G CO., still negotiating with the U.S. government, hopes to
close a key deal to lease modified 767 jetliners as refueling
tanke rs to the U.S. Air Force by year-end, a spokesman said.
The price under discussion is now $17 billion for 100 refueling
tankers , down from the originally estimated $26 billion that
faile d to win approval in Washington, The Wall Street Journal
reporte d. Boeing, the second largest U.S. military contractor,
had hoped to close the deal long ago but has been thwarted by
concern s over price and the value of buying versus leasing. At
one point, rival airplane manufacturer Airbus of Europe was
also trying to win the deal.
(Reuter s 11:42 AM ET 11/05/2002)

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=732...a&s=rb0211 05




On Wed, 04 Sep 2002 01:41:34 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larr y Dighera) wrote in Message ID
d5panu :



GENERA L DYNAMICS CORP. said the U.S. Navy had given it and BOEING
CO. 30 days to pay $2.3 billion to settle an 11-year legal
batt le over the Pentagon's abrupt cancellation of the Navy's
A-12 fighter jet. "General Dynamics regards this demand as an
unseem ly negotiating tactic, and an apparent effort to gain
advant age during settlement talks," the company said, noting
that it would seek an injunction in federal court if the
settle ment talks failed to reach a result before the 30-day
deadli ne. General Dynamics, Boeing and the Navy were in intense
discus sions this summer to settle the matter, with one proposal
callin g for the companies to provide goods and services to the
Navy valued at more than $2.5 billion, including discounts on
F-18E/F fighter jets it plans to buy in the future.
(Reute rs 03:19 PM ET 09/03/2002)

More :
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=699...a&s=rb0209 03

====== ================================================== ========


On Thu, 08 Aug 2002 14:39:41 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Lar ry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
fj05l :



Offic ials at the U.S. Air Force and aircraft manufacturer BOEING
CO. said on Tuesday they were still hammering out an agreement
to lease 100 commercial Boeing 767s and convert them to aerial
refue ling tankers, despite new White House criticism of the
propo sed deal. White House Budget Director Mitchell Daniels
sai d in a recent letter he would not support any proposal that
cos t taxpayers more than an outright purchase. "The Air Force
and Boeing are still in negotiations," said Air Force
spoke swoman Capt. Jessica Smith, noting the current fleet of
545 KC-135 tankers had an average age of 41 years. "We're
worki ng to find the best deal for the taxpayers."
(Reut ers 05:53 PM ET 08/06/2002)

Mor e:
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=687...a&s=rb0208 06

----------------------------------------------------------------

On Thu, 18 Jul 2002 17:19:32 GMT, "W. D. Allen"
ball (W. D. Allen) wrote in Message ID
EMCZ :

Mo re like an Air Farce, not a Boeing, boondoggle! Can't sell something to a
cust omer when they do not want it!! Get it right or forget it!

WD A

en d

"Lar ry Dighera" wrote in message
news ...

BOEING CO. CFO Mike Sears said the aerospace company expects to
sign a deal to lease air refueling tankers to the U.S. Air
Force by the end of summer. Congress authorized the Air Force
in December to negotiate a leasing deal with Boeing for 100
converted 767s to replace some aging KC-135 tankers. White
House and congressional budget experts had said it would be
cheaper to buy new planes or refurbish the old tankers than
sign a 10-year lease with an estimated cost of $26 billion to
$37 billion.
(Reuters 10:44 AM ET 07/17/2002)

Mo

http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=674...a&s=rb0207 17


On Fri, 17 May 2002 03:34:14 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
:

----------------------------------------------------------------
Boeing Co (BA) (45.00 +0.45)

Replacing the oldest U.S. refueling aircraft remains an Air Force
priority, the service's secretary and chief of staff told
Congress Wednesday amid controversy over a proposed lease of
commercial aircraft from BOEING CO. The Air Force said concern
about the 43-year-old KC-135Es in its fleet had been heightened
by the increased pace of aerial refueling after the Sept. 11
attacks. Air Force Secretary James Roche rejected suggestions
that the Air Force could get by with its current refueling
fleet for 15 years or more. Replacement needs to start as soon
as possible, the Air Force said in a separate letter replying
to criticism of the proposed lease deal.
(Reuters 04:34 PM ET 05/15/2002)

Mo

http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=643...a&s=rb0205 15
----------------------------------------------------------------


On Tue, 14 May 2002 00:55:42 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
:

----------------------------------------------------------------
Boeing Co (BA) (44.28 +0.65)

The Senate Armed Services Committee moved on Friday to boost
congressional oversight of a possible $26 billion Air Force
deal to lease BOEING CO. wide-body jets and turn them into
refueling tankers. Sen. John McCain said he was clearing the
way for public hearings on what he has described as a potential
taxpayer "rip-off." A measure adopted by the panel would force
the secretary of the Air Force to get specific funding for any
lease of Boeing 767 tankers -- a process that could delay any
deal to the next budget cycle if enacted into law.
(Reuters 05:15 PM ET 05/10/2002)

Mo

http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=641...1a&s=rb0205 1
0



On Thu, 09 May 2002 15:59:30 GMT, Larry Dighera
(Larry Dighera) wrote in Message ID
:


Boeing Co (BA) (44.41 +1.27)

Plans for the U.S. Air Force to lease BOEING CO. 767 commercial
aircraft as aerial refueling tankers is an expensive solution
that could actually cut overall fuel capacity, according to a
White House analysis obtained on Tuesday. Office of Management
and Budget Director Mitch Daniels said leasing the 100 767s to
start replacing a 40-year-old fleet of KC-135 tankers would
cost up to $26 billion and result in a slightly smaller overall
fuel capacity. A $3.2 billion upgrade of 126 KC-135s would
increase fleet capacity by a similar amount but the Air Force
had not chosen this route, Daniels said in a letter to leasing
critic, Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain.
(Reuters 07:52 PM ET 05/07/2002)

Mo

http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=639...0925a&s=rb0205
07

On 18 Apr 2002 22:00:27 -0700, (Blain Shinno) (Blain
Shinno) wrote in Message ID
m:

Boeing expects to begin delivering aerial refueling tankers
based on its 767 wide-body jetliner, including some for Italian
and Japanese forces, by late 2004, with some 100 tankers for the
U.S. Air Force rolling off the line beginning in 2005.

I wonder how many tankers will be delivered each year. Seems a little
long to wait for leased tankers. I wonder when all of them will be
delivered? For $26 billion the USAF better have the option of buying
the tankers for $1 at the end of the lease. And how does the lease
impact the future buy of tankers? When will 767 derivatives start
rolling off the line? Following the delivery of leased tankers, or
after? How is that going to impact the budget?



  #30  
Old November 26th 03, 02:42 AM
external usenet poster
 
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Larry Dighera wrote:

Mo
http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=893...a&s=rb0311 24

----------------------------------------------------------------

On Sat, 22 Nov 2003 17:48:24 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

Senate Armed Services Committee member John McCain moved on
Thursday to force disclosure of Pentagon records on a
multibillion-dollar plan to acquire 100 BOEING CO. 767s as
refu


Y'know guys, if we each emailed Larry one copy of these posts
once a day I'll bet he'd have enough data to last himself for
awhile wouldn't he?...I'd hate for him to not have a copy in case
he needed it now...I'll send him a copy right now, poor guy....
--

-Gord.
 




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