Joel:

No contractor is perfect even when it has a continent backing it.

Germany raises fears over capabilities of Airbus A400M aircraft.

Bob, this is about the acquisition of a new USAF Tanker.   I'm not saying that Boeing can't build great planes.  It has built many, many outstanding planes.  Believe me, I was in the Air Force for nine years, with a son-in-law who flew Boeing planes (my daughter flew Lockheed, C-130s).  I am well familiar with AF history.

On 24 February 2011, the USAF announced that the development contract for the new Tanker had been awarded to Boeing (Boeing was the "clear Winner").

Let's see now...   May 2019 - February 2011 is approximately 9 years and three months (111 months) to receive the first acceptable (DEVELOPMENTAL ?)  aircraft.

World War 2  is said to have started on September 1, 1939  with the German invasion of Poland and ended on September 2, 1945 with the Surrender of Japan.

That was a period of 6 years or 72 months...

111/72 = 1.542

Was this a "great contracting success" ?  Albeit, the USAF was working under overbearing political pressure, including, among others,  'influence' by the "winner" and it's supporters.

The Air Force evidently thought that the Airbus Tanker would have met their needs, because they initially selected it.  It had already been sold and was flying at the time of the award to Boeing. 

It was a political decision, including the change in basis of selection from "Best Value Tradeoff" to "Best Value"Lowest-Priced Technically Acceptable".  The media reported the re-compete after the GAO Protest of the initial award to EADS as "fixed price".   In reality, the competition and award of the developmental contract was awarded as "fixed-price incentive".  Massive overruns in cost and time, so far... 

 

I enjoy reading about similar problems in the development of a system.  A system is some kind of platform whether it flies, floats, crawls, or sinks.  It doesn't matter which humans develop it because they all have the same human frailties.  Here is a brief history of the A400M.