Northrop says its tanker can refuel V-22 tilt-rotor

By Andrea Shalal-Esa

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Northrop Grumman Corp (NOC.N: Quote, Profile, Research), rejecting a claim by losing bidder Boeing Co (BA.N: Quote, Profile, Research), said on Monday its aerial tanker based on the Airbus A330 could refuel the V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft flown by the Marine Corps.

Boeing on March 11 filed a protest against the Air Force's decision to award Northrop and its European partner, EADS (EAD.PA: Quote, Profile, Research), the parent of Airbus, a $35 billion program for new aerial refueling tankers that will be known as the KC-45.

In the protest, Boeing said the Northrop tanker had "significant shortcomings" including the inability to refuel aircraft like the V-22 Osprey. The Osprey takes off and lands like a helicopter, but flies like an airplane.

Northrop director of business development Marc Lindsley said that claim was false.

"The Northrop KC-45 can refuel the V-22," he told Reuters.

The ability to refuel the V-22 was not a mandatory requirement in the bidding competition, according to industry sources.

Both the Northrop KC-30 tanker and Boeing's 767 tanker include a center refueling boom, hose and drogue refueling equipment on the wingpods, and a center-line hose and drogue.

A drogue is a system that allows the tanker to pass fuel into the receiving aircraft using a retractable hose. It differs from the boom system, which has a long pipe that hangs under the plane and mates up with the receiving aircraft.