Boeing is definitely not going down quietly on its loss of a lucrative Air Force contract to build aerial refueling tanker planes. It blasted out its message in expensive full-page color ads in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and other newspapers around the country Wednesday.
The government awarded the contract to Northrop Grumman in late February. Boeing, which has built similar planes for the government for many years and many billions of dollars, filed a formal protest--an unusual step--on March 11. The ads may not have cost billions, but they certainly did ring up a bill in the many tens of thousands.
In the ads, Boeing said, "Let's look at the facts," and proceeded to got through its case. Boeing has claimed an edge of cost, performance and relative risk. "It doesn't add up," Boeing said at the end of each point. The ad also included Boeing's web site aimed at debunking the contract.
While Boeing has been on the offensive since the award went against them, Northrop Grumman has been vocal too. It has defended its contract vigorously, with its own web site and including by issuing many news releases to counter Boeing claims.
The Government Accountability Office says it hopes to rule in the case by mid-June.
--Noel Rubinton