No Crystal Ball

Boeing has renewed its pledge to continue funding the C-17 production line, at least until President Bush gets and signs the 2008 defense authorization bill. Tim Logan of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Boeing officials on Oct. 30 restated the company’s intention to keep the line warm with its own funds, hoping that there will be additional Air Force orders. The issue, of course, is still very much up in the air. Logan also reports that there is doubt the House version of the bill, which includes funding for 10 additional C-17s, will make it through conference; instead, there is speculation more C-17s would be added to the war supplemental.