U.S. Air Force made late change to tanker criteria

By Andrea Shalal-Esa

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Weeks before making a final decision, the U.S. Air Force changed criteria used to assess rival bids from Boeing Co (BA.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and Northrop Grumman Corp (NOC.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) for new refueling tankers, resulting in a lower score for Northrop, people familiar with the changes said on Thursday.

Three sources, who asked not to be named, said it was unclear how the lower score affected the Air Force's overall assessment of the Northrop bid. It also was not immediately clear if Boeing's score changed as a result.

The losing side is widely expected to file a formal protest, and the recent change in evaluation criteria could well form the basis of a protest, defense analysts said.

Loren Thompson of the Lexington Institute said the "last minute" change in the evaluation criteria could be significant, since both proposals met nine key requirements for the new tanker, including air refueling capability, range, and ability to carry cargo and passengers.

"Whenever the outcome of a competition is close, the slightest doubts about the way in which the process was conducted can provide the basis for a successful protest by the loser," Thompson said.

Los Angeles-based Northrop and its European subcontractor, Airbus parent EADS (EAD.PA: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), are vying against Chicago-based Boeing to build 179 new refueling aircraft, a deal valued at $30 billion to $40 billion over the next 10 to 15 years.

Most analysts expect Boeing to win the contract, but Northrop insists it still has a fighting chance.

The Air Force picked a winner last week, but has not yet announced its decision. It is waiting for Pentagon acquisition chief John Young to sign off on the acquisition strategy for the tanker program. Officials now say an announcement is likely on Friday, although some caution it could slip to next week.