Boeing vs Airbus: The Decade-Long Battle for America's Tanker Contract

The KC-X Tanker War was a decade-long battle between Boeing and Northrop Grumman/EADS over a massive defence contract to replace the aging KC-135 fleet.

In 2008, Northrop Grumman and EADS won the bid with their A330-based tanker, the KC-45A, but their victory was short-lived as the contract was soon canceled due to Congressional opposition and bribery allegations against Boeing.

The Air Force then rebid the contract, which led to a second win for Boeing's 767-based KC-46A in 2011. However, the program faced significant technical troubles and cost overruns, with Boeing absorbing more than $7 billion in charges by the mid-2020s.

In the end, both sides lost and won: Boeing won the contract but struggled to deliver a functioning aircraft, while Northrop Grumman/EADS lost the American contract but went on to export their A330 MRTT tanker globally, making it the de facto standard for aerial refueling.