WASHINGTON — Northrop Grumman beat out rival Boeing for a $3.8 billion deal to provide logistics services for the KC-10, a fleet of aerial refueling tankers, the Pentagon said late Thursday.
U.S. planemaker Boeing, based in Chicago, builds the KC-10 and holds the current service contract for the plane, which is set to expire in January. It has been providing 24-hour service seven days a week on the aircraft since 1998.
Boeing expressed disappointment over the Air Force’s selection, saying it would review the decision before taking any further action. Based on merits, the company can choose to appeal the service’s decision.
The nine-year contract is expected to bring 150 to 300 jobs to the Lake Charles area, said the offices of Louisiana’s two U.S. senators, Mary Landrieu and David Vitter.
