“Officials familiar with the negotiations” tell the Mobile (Ala.) Press-Register that the Air Force plans to use a “scoring system” that could ensure the Northrop Grumman-EADS team stays the course in the KC-X tanker replacement program. It could, that is, if it includes “capability-to-cost metrics,” reports the Press-Register’s George Talbot. Without that, Northrop officials have said they don’t believe the KC-30—larger than the Boeing KC-767—will receive a fair shake. Sen. John McCain and other lawmakers are intent on ensuring that the competition be a real competition. And, the Air Force is under pressure to provide more than a traditional tanker, specifically a hybrid that could haul more cargo or passengers than the current KC-135. Boeing also has considered offering its larger 777 as an option.
The Air Force’s recent trend of low promotion rates for enlisted noncommissioned officers continued Aug. 17, as the service announced it had tapped just 9,706 senior airmen out of 45,991 eligible to become staff sergeants—a 21.1 percent promotion rate. That mark is the lowest in nearly a quarter of a…