Boeing Vs EADS: Who will win the $35 billion air tanker project?

In a few days, the Pentagon will announce the winner deciding who will land up with a staggering $35 billion project to build around 200 giant airborne refueling tankers. The next-gen tanker program, known as the KC-X, has been garnering a lot of interest from the Obama administration and aeronautical organizations alike.

The pan-European aerospace and defence corporation, EADS, has a number of aircraft manufacturing sectors under it which includes Airbus, Eurocopter and Astrium. As per the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, if EADS lands up with the project, this would create around 48,000 jobs, including 10,000 in Mobile.

Forbes, on the other hand, reports that if Boeing wins, about 50,000 jobs would be created in the U.S.

As such, a fierce level of competition is seen with both the companies as they try to promote themselves through subway and radio ads.

Although EADS is offering a lower bid as compared to its American counterpart, the key discriminator for acquiring the project will not be price alone. The Washington Post pointed out that each of the two bidders will have to fulfill 372 mandatory performance requirements.