Washington, D.C. – Senior Pentagon officials say their latest $35 billion plan to acquire refueling planes is fair.
On Wednesday, the Air Force publicly released its final bid request for the job. But supporters of Northrop Grumman Corp. say the proposal does little to satisfy concerns that the terms are skewed against its larger, more expensive plane.
If Northrop drops out of the competition, Boeing Co. would likely be the only bidder.
Air Force Secretary Michael Donley told reporters that the Pentagon believes ``both offers are in a position to win.''
Deputy Defense Secretary Bill Lynn called the proposal ``balanced and fair.''
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