Ukrainian Plane To Make AF Tanker Bid
07-02-2010, 08:52 AM
#1
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Ukrainian Plane To Make AF Tanker Bid
From Seattle Times:
A tiny, cash-strapped California aerospace supplier says it has teamed with the Ukrainian manufacturer of Antonov aircraft to make a long-shot bid for the U.S. Air Force tanker contract.
The company, called US Aerospace, is delinquent on federal and state income and payroll taxes, as well as two car loans, according to a regulatory filing last month. And its latest quarterly statement warns that its financial troubles "raise substantial doubt" it can survive without raising more money soon.
All that would presumably change if the late entrant can wrest the $35 billion tanker contract away from bidders Boeing and Airbus parent EADS, which have battled over the 179-plane job for years.
But that's a big if.
US Aerospace said it signed a joint venture agreement Thursday with the Ukrainian state-owned company Antonov, and immediately notified the U.S. Department of Defense it would join the tanker competition.
"We anticipate bidding three models of aircraft, the AN-124-KC, AN-122-KC and AN-112-KC," the company said in a regulatory filing.
"The airframes will be built by Antonov in Ukraine, with final assembly in the United States. We believe that we will be able to offer a superior aircaft at a significantly lower price than other potential bidders."
The company, which is based near Los Angeles, said its agreement with the Ukrainian plane maker also contemplates bidding for other American defense contracts and selling Antonov's aircraft and services commercially in the U.S.
A tiny, cash-strapped California aerospace supplier says it has teamed with the Ukrainian manufacturer of Antonov aircraft to make a long-shot bid for the U.S. Air Force tanker contract.
The company, called US Aerospace, is delinquent on federal and state income and payroll taxes, as well as two car loans, according to a regulatory filing last month. And its latest quarterly statement warns that its financial troubles "raise substantial doubt" it can survive without raising more money soon.
All that would presumably change if the late entrant can wrest the $35 billion tanker contract away from bidders Boeing and Airbus parent EADS, which have battled over the 179-plane job for years.
But that's a big if.
US Aerospace said it signed a joint venture agreement Thursday with the Ukrainian state-owned company Antonov, and immediately notified the U.S. Department of Defense it would join the tanker competition.
"We anticipate bidding three models of aircraft, the AN-124-KC, AN-122-KC and AN-112-KC," the company said in a regulatory filing.
"The airframes will be built by Antonov in Ukraine, with final assembly in the United States. We believe that we will be able to offer a superior aircaft at a significantly lower price than other potential bidders."
The company, which is based near Los Angeles, said its agreement with the Ukrainian plane maker also contemplates bidding for other American defense contracts and selling Antonov's aircraft and services commercially in the U.S.
07-02-2010, 06:33 PM
#3
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Sounds like a very sound idea to me.
While we're at it, let's offer them the inside track on building our next generation of fighter. I'm sure the computers and software that would run these jets would be free of problems, and the jets would be totally reliable.
JJ
While we're at it, let's offer them the inside track on building our next generation of fighter. I'm sure the computers and software that would run these jets would be free of problems, and the jets would be totally reliable.JJ
07-03-2010, 05:48 PM
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Appaerently, the economy must be bad or something for an American based company who is already in financial hot water to think the DoD would even consider an ANT for its inventory. Good Luck to them. I wonder what they have in inventory for the Bankrupcy Sale
07-03-2010, 08:28 PM
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Originally Posted by EAndres1486
Appaerently, the economy must be bad or something for an American based company who is already in financial hot water to think the DoD would even consider an ANT for its inventory. Good Luck to them. I wonder what they have in inventory for the Bankrupcy Sale
07-03-2010, 10:32 PM
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Well the M28 is a pretty neat airplane in my opinion, Polish manufacturers have always been good at filling market niches, for instance various agricultural planes and the manufacture of new production radial engines for those aircraft.
All in all though, PZL is actually owned by Sikorski these days, so it's a bit different than a "joint venture" like this CA based company is proposing.
All in all though, PZL is actually owned by Sikorski these days, so it's a bit different than a "joint venture" like this CA based company is proposing.
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