KC-X Bidder Dialogue Begins Despite Protest

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=defense&id=news/asd/2010/08/12/01.xml

This signals that the service is proceeding with its KC-135 replacement source selection despite the protest launched last week by would-be bidder U.S. Aerospace, which teamed with Ukrainian state-owned Antonov to pitch a modified An-70 tanker. U.S. Aerospace claims in its Aug. 2 protest that Air Force personnel deliberately delayed a messenger carrying the proposal at the security gate at Wright-Patterson AFB on July 9. As a result, the Air Force stamped the proposal as being received five minutes after the due date, and disqualified the company from bidding (Aerospace DAILY, Aug. 5).

The “evaluation notice” (EN) process with Boeing and EADS began Aug. 11, according to these officials.