Marathon Pundit: Airbus tanker could weaken our military

It's time to revisit the KC-X mid-air refueling tanker project.

The Seattle Times takes what seems to be a fair look at the bidding between two aeronautic titans.

Roaring back into the Air Force tanker competition, executives at Airbus parent company EADS said Tuesday they plan to offer the U.S. a bigger, more capable refueling tanker. And they claim they'll do that for a cheaper price than Boeing.

The renewed competition will increase pressure on Boeing to lower the proposed price for its forthcoming bid on the estimated $40 billion contract, which could mean thousands of jobs here.

The article goes on mention some of the flaws of the EADS bid, but misses a big one. That's where Dan Riehl, who reminds us, via Tacoma News Tribune, helps us out.

Britain's new fleet of Airbus A330-based aerial tankers can't refuel warplanes over Afghanistan or other war zones because they're unequipped to fly in "high threat environments," a British publication says.

The Mail said the tankers need armor, antimissile systems and early warning electronics to allow them to operate in hostile environments. Equipping the 14 Airbus tankers with that equipment would cost British taxpayers millions more, a report from Britain's National Audit Office said.