MINNEAPOLIS — Boeing said Thursday it is reviewing its options for bidding on a $35 billion contract to make Air Force tanker planes.
At the moment, Boeing Co. is the only announced bidder for what is expected to be a 179-plane order. But on Wednesday, the Pentagon said it might extend the May 10 bidding deadline by two months to give European competitor EADS a chance to re-enter the process.
EADS and former partner Northrop Grumman pulled out of the bidding for the long- awaited contract last month.
Boeing, based in Chicago, said it is prepared to bid by May 10 but will “review all of our options for going forward” while waiting for a final decision on the deadline. A Boeing spokesman declined to say whether the company means it will bid later or is considering not bidding at all or some other possibility.
Defense analyst Loren Thomp son of the Lexington Institute thinks he knows what Boeing means.
“If it feels that anything is being done to advantage its competitor, it will file a protest or take other legal action,” Thomp son said.
