KC-X Tanker Contract's New Twist

Apparently there's a Ukrainian bid coming as a partnership with a US company.

U.S. Aerospace, Inc. and Antonov executives inked a pact on July 1 spelling out the terms of a partnership under which the American company will act as the prime contractor of a team that will enter up to three Antonov aircraft into the high-stakes KC-X race, an industry source said.

Boeing is expected to enter a 767-based aircraft, and its arch-rival Airbus plans to pitch a tanker based on its A330. The U.S.-Ukrainian partnership likely will send ripple waves across the global defense sector. All bids are due July 9.

The source said U.S. Aerospace and Antonov plan to enter the four-engine AN-124-100, and a two-engine variant of that airframe known as the AN-122.

By: Brant