US lawmakers blast Boeing defense contract snub
Pentagon picks Northrop/EADS over Boeing for tanker deal
US lawmakers have reacted angrily after the US military awarded a 35-billion-dollar aircraft deal to Europe's Northrop Grumman/EADS group, in a major blow to US manufacturers Boeing.
"It's stunning to me that we would outsource the production of these airplanes to Europe instead of building them in America," said Republican Senator Sam Brownback about the Pentagon's decision.
"I'll be calling upon the Secretary of Defense for a full debriefing and expect there will be a protest of the award by Boeing."
The US Defense Department announced Friday that it was awarding the deal for a fleet of in-flight refuelling craft to the Northrop Grumman/EADS team, in a huge coup for Boeing's main rival Airbus.
