The contract should have been awarded several years ago to Boeing after the leasing fiasco of acquiring KC-767 tankers. As always politics, lobbyists and people trying to stuff their pockets with jobs and money prevented the awarding of that contract.

Boeing has already proved that the KC-767 is an effective tanker....Japan and Italy are currently deploying that aircraft. Who knows what kind of product EADS will produce. Airbus has readily admitted that the service life of it's aircraft is around 15 years. The Boeing built KC-135 has been around since the Eisenhower era. The 767 line is still up and running and if the contract is reopened Boeing will provide the USAF with a more effective tanker.